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Workforce dataset (size and demographics) 
Source: Stats NZ Integrated Data Infrastructure
51,905 individuals worked in Sheep, Beef, Deer, and Wool farming across 2021, with 53% of these being either employers or self-employed. Most of those working in Sheep, Beef, Deer, and Wool industries worked in Sheep and Beef farming, 3% worked in Deer farming, 9% worked in Shearing Services and less than 1% in Wool Wholesaling. The total number of people working across Sheep, Beef, Deer, and Wool farming decreased between 2018 and 2021.
On average, the Sheep, Beef, Deer, and Wool industries have a higher percentage of workers who are 65 years or older than any other Muka Tangata industry. A large percentage of the workforce identifying as European ethnicity. However, in Shearing Services, there are an exceptionally high number of people in the workforce who identify as Māori and most of the workforce are under 35 years old. The average gender composition across the industry group is the same as the average across all other Muka Tangata industries but lower than all industries (national benchmark), with the percentage of females in the workforce increasing slightly over time.
There are seasonal changes in the counts of employees working in Sheep, Beef, Deer, and Wool farming industries. The counts of employees in Sheep and Beef Farming are highest in December and are lowest in April-May. The counts of employees in Deer Farming follow a similar seasonal cycle. There are two peaks in the count of employees in Shearing Services, a larger peak over the summer months (December-February) and a smaller increase in employee counts in July. The seasonal fluctuation in the monthly count of employees across Sheep, Beef, Deer, and Wool farming has been relatively stable year on year.
Note that here we report on industries using ANZSIC class codes. These classify businesses based on their main function. Some of the sheep and beef farms will farm deer as well, but those classified as deer farms are more likely to solely farm deer.