Youth employment and education in New Zealand from 1985 to 2004

Data from the Household Economic Survey (HES) are used to examine the activities undertaken by New Zealand youth from 1985 to 2004. Evidence is presented on both labour market and education activities and the intersection of the two. The paper begins by examining cross-sectional patterns in youth activity. It then extends this analysis by examining the activities of particular birth cohorts over time. Throughout, results are broken down by gender and ethnicity and compared to similar findings for Australia to provide a rich picture of youth activity in New Zealand during the past two decades.