Zealand Information Research Articles

Gender and the Information Work Force: New Zealand Evidence and Issues

ABSTRACT This paper documents the growth and gender composition of New Zealand's information work force over the period 1976‐96. By 1996, about 55% of the female work force was employed in information occupations, compared to 40% of the male work force. The share of high-skilled information workers increased substantially over time, and faster for females than males. This suggests faster upskilling of the female information work force. The paper also briefly comments on some related, but much narrower, 'knowledge worker' concepts, and on some of the problems encountered if one wants to relate the work force measures to endogenous growth theory. The concluding comments provide a wish list of further research.

Gender and the Information Work Force: New Zealand Evidence and Issues

ABSTRACT This paper documents the growth and gender composition of New Zealand's information work force over the period 1976‐96. By 1996, about 55% of the female work force was employed in information occupations, compared to 40% of the male work force. The share of high-skilled information workers increased substantially over time, and faster for females than males. This suggests faster upskilling of the female information work force. The paper also briefly comments on some related, but much narrower, 'knowledge worker' concepts, and on some of the problems encountered if one wants to relate the work force measures to endogenous growth theory. The concluding comments provide a wish list of further research.

The Growth and Gender Composition of New Zealand's Information Work Force

This paper documents the continuing growth and gender composition of New Zealand's information work force, at the aggregate level as well as by major occupation groups, over the period 1976-96. Information occupations have been selected from five-yearly Census occupation data at the four-digit level. After lagging behind the US in the past, the relative size of New Zealand's information work force now seems similar to that of the US. By / 996, about 55 percent of the female workforce was employed in information occupations, compared to 40 precent of the male workforce. There seems to have been relatively faster up skilling of the female information work force. The paper also briefly comments on related, but much narrower, 'knowledge worker' concepts, i.e. R&D personnel and the workers of the 'digital' economy, and 011 some of the problems encountered if one wants to relate the work force measures to endogenous growth theory. Finally, a long wish list of further research is provided.

Towards a Knowledge Economy? Changes in New Zealand's Information Work Force 1976‐1996

The New Zealand economy has undergone tremendous change since 1984, being transformed from one of the most regulated OECD economies to one of the most deregulated. Recently, the concept of a 'knowledge economy' has received attention in New Zealand, and policies are now aimed at creating such an economy. This study contributes to the debate by exploring the changes in the country's information work force in recent decades, and by attempting to relate them to some of the major features of the economy which have to be addressed in the search for an appropriate knowledge economy model.