Last updated: 21 March 2024

Dairy Farming Labour Market Dynamics

 Industry dataset (economic indicators and labour market dynamics)  

Source: Linked Employer-Employee Data, Stats NZ¹

Linked Employer-Employee Data (LEED) data is produced by Stats New Zealand quarterly to measure labour market dynamics. There is a lag in data availability of around 14 months due to the time it takes for the data to be completed by employers, to flow through Inland Revenue, and for Stats NZ to undertake relevant transformations and quality checks² 68. Here, we show the most recent data available at the time of publishing.

Median Earnings

The median earnings for the Dairy Cattle Farming industry are similar to all industries across New Zealand and have increased at a similar rate. The median earning for Dairy Cattle Farming are around $1,000 per quarter higher than the median earnings of those working in ‘agriculture, forestry, and fishing’ more broadly. There is a seasonal pattern in median earnings, with quarterly median earnings usually highest in the September and December quarters, and lowest in the March quarter.

In the chart, we provide two benchmarks for reference: ‘agriculture, forestry and fishing’ which covers all industries involved in growing crops, raising animals, growing and harvesting timber, and harvesting fish and other animals from farms or their natural habitats, and a benchmark for ‘all industries’ which includes every industry group in New Zealand.

Quarterly Turnover Rate

The quarterly worker turnover rate for the Dairy Cattle Farming industry illustrates the seasonal nature of the industry. Within a year, there are large peaks in worker turnover rate in September and troughs from December through to June. The peak Dairy Cattle Farming workforce turnover rate is more similar to the worker turnover rate across ‘agriculture, forestry, and fishing’ more broadly.

In the chart, we provide two benchmarks for reference: ‘agriculture, forestry and fishing’ which covers all industries involved in growing crops, raising animals, growing and harvesting timber, and harvesting fish and other animals from farms or their natural habitats, and a benchmark for ‘all industries’ which includes every industry group in New Zealand.

Number of Filled Jobs

The number of filled jobs is an indicator of economic activity. Overall, between 2015 and 2022, the number of filled jobs has been reasonably stable, allowing for seasonal variations.