Big Data reports
Many of our projects have a strong focus on utilising linked administrative data, and in particular the Statistics New Zealand's Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). Stats NZ published a range of case studies highlighting the types of research being carried out using the IDI. Our report 'Empirical Evidence of the Gender Pay Gap', published in 2017, was chosen as part of this campaign due to the insights gained from utilising the IDI.
See the Stats NZ's poster - How integrated data helps: shine a light on the gender pay gap
This page lists some examples of our research reports that use Big Data.
Determinants of ethnic differences in the uptake of child healthcare services in New Zealand: a decomposition analysis
Using data from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal survey for a cohort of children born between 2009 and 2010, econometric approaches were utilised to explore underlying mechanisms behind ethnic differences in healthcare service uptake. Healthcare utilisation was strongly influenced by socio-economic, mobility and social factors including ethnic discrimination. In decomposition models comparing Māori to NZ Europeans, the strongest drivers for timely first-year immunisations and GP satisfaction (2-years) were household composition and household income. Gaps between Pacific and NZ Europeans in timely first-year immunisations and choice of maternity carer were largely unexplained by factors included in the models.
Underutilised workers in New Zealand
This study aims to better understand the various labour market groups in New Zealand who want jobs or more hours of work, known as the underutilised workforce. We analyse the composition and characteristics of the underutilised workforce, the likelihood of movement in and out of this group and the reasons for underemployment. We also present findings on the earnings trajectories of underemployed workers relative to fully-utilised workers over the time period affected by COVID-19 compared to before the pandemic.
Funder(s): Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
Workplace Safety and the Future of Work in NZ
What are the possible implications of future-of-work trends for workplace safety? This report examines the relationship between future-of-work trends and workplace safety outcomes using information on work-related injury claims.
Funder(s): WorkSafe New Zealand
The Future of Work in New Zealand: An Empirical Examination
This report examines the adoption of future-of-work (FoW) practices, processes and technology in New Zealand workplaces. It uses Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) and Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) to examine a variety of practices associated with the FoW such as employee engagement and inclusion policies, flexible leave and work options, automation and digitalisation, and the use of collective agreements and non-standard work.
Funder(s): New Zealand Industrial Relations Foundation
Ethnic differences in the use and experience of child healthcare services in NZ: An empirical examination
This research uses Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) data to provide insights regarding differences in the use and experience of child healthcare services in NZ focusing on decisions to immunise, seek dental care, and visit the doctor. The report analysed responses from around 6,000 parents at four time points: antenatally; when the children were nine-months; then two-years; and then four-years-old.
Funder(s): Ministry of Social Development, Health Research Council
In-work Poverty in New Zealand: A Focus on Pacific Peoples
This report examines the prevalence of, and characteristics associated with, Pacific in-work poverty in New Zealand. The analysis within this study draws primarily on linked data from Inland Revenue and the 2013 Census, as well as supplementary information provided by the Household Labour Force Survey.
Funder(s): Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
In-work Poverty in New Zealand
This report examines the prevalence of, and characteristics associated with, in-work poverty in New Zealand, which could help inform the systemic changes needed to reduce poverty rates. In-work poverty is defined as the proportion of working households that fall below the poverty threshold.
Funder(s): Human Rights Commission
Characterising New Zealand's Underutilised Workforce
We use the Household Labour Force Survey to characterise the underutilised workforce in New Zealand. A worker is considered to be underutilised if they are unemployed, time-related underemployed or belong to the potential labour force. We also identify potential drivers of the duration of underutilisaiton and unemployment.
Funder(s): Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Workplace Health and Safety in the Home and Community Care Sector
The aim of this literature review was to understand the causes and drivers of workplace injury in home-based health and disability support services. The literature review was based on international academic research, government generated research and reports, reputable consultancy organisations and other organisations such as unions.
Funder(s): Home and Community Health Association
This report is confidential
Health Care Homes: Early Evidence in Wellington
This report presents a case study analysis on one part of the New Zealand healthcare system. We focus on the NZ Health Care Home initiative and investigate the impact of its implementation on a wide array of health events.
Funder(s): Productivity Commission
Individualising entitlements in New Zealand's benefit and social assistance systems
The purpose of this report is to examine the possibility of modernising New Zealand's welfare and social assistance system to remove or reduce reliance on the couple-based unit of assessment and the associated requirement for relationship status testing.
Funder(s): Superu
Parenthood and labour market outcomes
This study combines administrative monthly earnings data, birth records, and survey information on hours worked and earnings to describe the labour market outcomes of men and women as they have children, as well as how parenthood contributes to the gender pay gap in NZ.
Funder(s): Ministry for Women
Residential movement within New Zealand: Quantifying and characterising the transient population
This study presents the first attempt at quantifying the scale of transience and vulnerable transience in NZ, and a description of who these people are. Understanding who is at risk of being transient will inform the work of a number of social sector agencies who deliver services to vulnerable populations.
Funder(s): Superu
Developing indicators of international student wellbeing: A scoping exercise with the IDI
To monitor international students’ outcomes, this study explores the scope of administrative data in the IDI to construct indicators of students’ academic outcomes (qualification completion), economic conditions (employment indicators), physical and mental wellbeing (usage of health care services), and inclusion (crime victimisation and incidence of accidents leading to injury).
Funder(s): Ministry of Education
Low pay in NZ
This research aims to better understand the low pay sector within New Zealand, and the changing nature of this group in recent years. A particular focus of the study was on identifying who is low paid, to build a comprehensive portrait with regard to their individual, household, and job characteristics.
Funder(s): Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Empirical evidence of the gender pay gap in New Zealand
The size of the gender pay gap in NZ is approximately 12%, based on 2015 data. We examine this gap with the Oaxaca Blinder decomposition method and find that just over 83% of the gap is unexplained; after controlling for differences in individual, household, occupation, industry and other job characteristics.
Funder(s): Ministry for Women
Explaining ethnic disparities in bachelor's qualifications: participation, retention and completion in NZ
This study uses newly linked administrative data to examine the underachievement of Māori and Pasifika relative to Europeans. We follow a population from school through to young adulthood to assess the relative contributions of prior academic performance, socioeconomic status and parental education to these gaps.
Funder(s): Productivity Commission
Big data reports prior to 2017
- Scoping the costs of homelessness in New Zealand
- The Attitude Gap Challenge: Research Evidence and Case Studies
- The State of the Tertiary Education Sector in New Zealand 2013
- Telework Briefing
- Trans-Tasman Telework Survey
- A History of Magazine Publishing in Britain
- Disability, education and the labour market: A longitudinal portrait for New Zealand
- New ways of working. Flexible working, wellbeing and diversity at CCANZ
- Y-NEET: Empirical evidence for NZ
- The current and predicted extent of flexible working
Other reports
Our document library holds reports for surveys, projects, presentations and Big Data. Working papers are also released here regularly.