The Pacific workforce and the impact of COVID-19

This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 (COVID) on the labour market disparities between Pasifika and New Zealand European (NZ European). To analyse these disparities, we assess labour market outcomes for the pre-pandemic period (January 2017–December 2019, inclusive) and quantify how they changed during the COVID period (March 2020–June 2021, inclusive). We are interested in understanding whether COVID amplified ethnic disparities in job accession and benefit dependence; job and wage mobility; and job separation.


View the report here


View the presentation by Professor Gail Pacheco here

View the technical presentation by Linda Tran here


Professor Gail Pacheco discusses the findings from the report on Breakfast with Matty McClean


Professor Gail Pacheco on When the Facts Change with Bernard Hickey


Dr Alexander Plum discusses the report on Pacific Mornings with Aggie531pi


Other media mentions

Equal pay gap widened by Covid-19, especially among Pasifika - RNZ

Young Auckland Pacific women took a big Covid work hit, report shows - Stuff

Employment prospects for Pasifika worsened during the study - RNZ

COVID-19: Employment prospects for Pasifika worsened during pandemic - study - Newshub

Covid hits Pasifika women - Southland Times

Class and Race: we are still getting things the wrong way round - The Daily Blog

AUT University research highlights effect of COVID-19 on labour market outcomes for Pacific People - Tagata Pasifika

Covid's impact on Pacific workers - AUT News

Document Library

Our document library houses all published reports from Big Data, Primary Surveys and internal research projects.

Most authors also present their findings at seminars and symposiums and copies of their presentations are found here together with a record of our working papers.