New Zealand: Oldest Workers Exhibiting Highest Rate of Job Growth

According to job data released by Statistics New Zealand, employees aged 65 years and older showed the greatest growth in filled jobs and average mean quarterly earnings in the five-year period to December 2006. Even though, as a group, they held only 2.5% of total filled jobs, they represented the greatest percentage growth--88.9%, substantially higher than the national average of 17%.

The next younger group of workers--those aged 60 to 64 years--had the second largest percentage increase of 50.5%, followed by the 55- to 59-year-olds, with 45%.

Source: Statistics New Zealand Media Release (February 22, 2008)