Forestry
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 New Zealand to undertake relevant transformations and quality checks2. Here, we show the most recent data available at the time of publishing.
LEED data is available at the ANZSIC ‘group’ level, which is a broader level of classification than the ANZSIC class codes used for the workforce estimates. The relevant ANZSIC groups here are 030 Forestry and Logging3 which includes both 0301 Forestry and 0302 Logging, and 051 Forestry Support Services4.
Median Earnings
Median earnings for the Forestry and Logging industry have been consistently higher than those of all industries in NZ and those working in 'agriculture, forestry and fishing' more broadly from 2015 to 2022, and the gap appears to have increased slightly over time. In June 2015, workers in the Forestry and Logging industry earned 9.5% more in quarterly median earnings than all industries and by June 2022, the difference was 19.5% more than all industries. The median earnings for Forestry Support Services are very similar to ‘all industries’ in New Zealand and have increased at similar rate over time.
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 Forestry and Logging industry has been reasonably stable showing a similar trend to all industries from June 2015 to June 2022. Worker turnover was particularly low in June quarter of 2020, and this may reflect an effect of COVID-19 lockdowns.
The quarterly worker turnover rate for Forestry Support Services industry is usually higher than across all industries in New Zealand and shows annual seasonal patterns with workforce turnover lowest in March and highest in September.
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 Job
The number of filled jobs is an indicator of economic activity. The Forestry and Logging industries and the Forestry Support Services industries showed consistent increases in the number of filled jobs over time, allowing for seasonal variations in Forestry Support Services.
Footnotes
1. Statistics New Zealand, “A Guide to Interpreting Official Quarterly Statistics Produced from the Linked Employer-Employee Data (LEED).,” Statistics New Zealand, July 29, 2009, https://www.stats.govt.nz/methods/guide-to-interpreting-the-leed-data.
2. Statistics New Zealand.
3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Forestry and Logging - Group 030,” June 26, 2013, 030, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/australian-and-new-zealand-standard-industrial-classification-anzsic/2006-revision-2-0/detailed-classification/a/03/030.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics, “Forestry Support Service - Group 051,” June 26, 2013, 051, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/australian-and-new-zealand-standard-industrial-classification-anzsic/2006-revision-2-0/detailed-classification/a/05/051.