7. Industry

• How did the distribution of the industry of employment among the adult population of New Zealand change between 1996 and 2006?
• How did the distributions of literacy skill according to industry change between 1996 and 2006?
• How was the distribution of industry for those with low skill different from the distribution of industry for those with higher skill?

This section examines these questions.

Industry

The IALS and ALL surveys collected information on respondents’ self-reported industry of employment. This information was recorded using the ISIC (International Standard Industrial Classification of all economic activities) classification. Here, for statistical robustness, this information is summarised (according to groups of ISIC categories) as follows (examples of industries in each group follow the group name):

• agriculture and fisheries − agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing
• manufacture − manufacturing of all types
• construction − construction of all types
• trade − wholesale trade, retail trade, hospitality
• transport and communications − transport, storage and communications
• finance and real estate − financing, insurance, real estate and business service
• health and education − community, social and personal service.

There were two other groups of ISIC categories (mining and quarrying; and electricity, gas, and water), but the membership of these categories was too small to allow robust statistical analyses. These two groups have not been included in the graphs in section 7. 

Figure 7.1 shows the distributions of industry across the employed population measured by the IALS and ALL surveys

Figure 7.1: Distribution of industry, IALS and ALL

Notes:

1. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. For the IALS and ALL surveys, the data for the “mining and quarrying” and “electricity, gas, and water” categories were of insufficient quality to report.

Figure 7.1 shows an increase in the proportion of employees in the health and education industry and decreases in the proportions of employees in the manufacture, and finance and real estate industries.

Document literacy and industry

Document literacy skill was measured by both the IALS and ALL surveys, and its relationship with industry is explored in Figures 7.2 and 7.3.

Figure 7.2 shows, for each industry, the percentages of the adult population of New Zealand at each document literacy level. Figure 7.3 shows the distribution of industry of employment among those with low document literacy skill and among those with higher document literacy skill.

Information from Figures 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 can be combined to draw a number of conclusions. For example, the proportion of the health and education industry employees with low document literacy skill was small when compared with other industries (Figure 7.2). However, the health and education industry accounted for the largest proportion of all industries (Figure 7.1) and the largest proportion of industries for those with low document literacy skill (Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.2: Document literacy and industry, IALS and ALL

Notes:

1. Levels 1 and 2 and levels 3, 4 and 5 are combined to give more robust statistical information.
2. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
3. For the IALS and ALL surveys the data for the “mining and quarrying” and “electricity, gas, and water” categories were of insufficient quality to report.

Figure 7.2 shows the changes that have occurred in document literacy levels by industry categories between 1996 and 2006. There was a rise of around 7 percentage points in the population of employees in the manufacturing industry having levels 3, 4 or 5 document literacy skill.

Figure 7.3: Industry distributions, by document literacy, ALL only

Notes:

1. Levels 1 and 2 and levels 3, 4 and 5 are combined to give more robust statistical information.
2. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
3. The data for the “mining and quarrying” and “electricity, gas, and water” categories were of insufficient quality to report.

Figure 7.3 shows that employees in the health and education industry made up the largest proportion of those with higher document literacy skill and also made up the largest proportion of those with low document literacy skill.

Numeracy and industry

Numeracy skill was measured by the ALL survey only, and its relationship with industry is explored in Figures 7.4 and 7.5.

Figure 7.4 shows, for each industry, the percentages of the adult population of New Zealand at each numeracy level. Figure 7.5 shows the distribution of industry groups among those with low numeracy skill and among those with higher numeracy skill.

Information from Figures 7.1, 7.4 and 7.5 can be combined to draw a number of conclusions. For example, the proportion of the health and education industry employees with low numeracy skill was small when compared with other industries (Figure 7.4). However, the health and education industry accounted for the largest proportion of all industries (Figure 7.1) and the largest proportion of industries for those with low numeracy skill (Figure 7.5).

Figure 7.4: Numeracy and industry, ALL only

Notes:

1. Levels 1 and 2 and levels 3, 4 and 5 are combined to give more robust statistical information.
2. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
3. The data for the “mining and quarrying” and “electricity, gas, and water” categories were of insufficient quality to report.

Figure 7.4 shows that employees in the finance and real estate and health and education industries had the highest numeracy skill, and employees in the agriculture and fisheries industry had the lowest.

Figure 7.5: Industry distributions, by numeracy, ALL only

Notes:

1. Levels 1 and 2 and levels 3, 4 and 5 are combined to give more robust statistical information.
2. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
3. The data for the “mining and quarrying” and “electricity, gas, and water” categories were of insufficient quality to report.

Figure 7.5 shows that, as was the case for document literacy, employees in the health and education industry made up the largest proportion of those with higher numeracy skill and also made up the largest proportion of those with low numeracy skill.