We have updated the Trends and Analysis section of each industry Workforce Development Plan with the most recent available data: Food and Fibre Workforce Development Plans.

Industry updates 

In the Trends and Analysis – Industry sections, we have updated information for industry gross domestic product (GDP) and export revenue. Measuring GDP helps us understand how much economic value each industry generates, which is critical for workforce planning. Industries that are forecasted to have an increasing GDP may require a larger or more skilled workforce. Export Revenue measures the income generated from selling goods and services to other countries. It reflects how well an industry is performing in the global market. Changes in export revenue and GDP figures between 2023 and 2024 vary across industries, but overall, Stats NZ’s September 2024 quarterly report shows a 1.4% increase in GDP for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing. This was driven by dairy cattle farming, horticulture, and fruit growing.

We have also updated the Labour Market Dynamics. This includes a breakdown of median earnings, worker turnover rates and number of filled jobs. Information on median earnings provides a picture of what workers earn in an industry. It may be one of the factors that contributes to long-term retention rates of workers. Worker turnover rates measure workforce stability and reflect the movement of workers into and out of jobs. Lower worker turnover rates indicate more workforce stability. The number of filled jobs is an indicator of economic activity, and measures demand for workers. A high number of filled jobs reflects higher demand for workers.

Learners and Providers updates 

We are continuing to make improvements to this data section, which is specifically for Muka Tangata qualifications. This now includes enrolment information for qualifications, strand details for workplace-based learners across all industry groups, and a breakdown of enrolments in qualifications by provider type, such as ITOs, polytechnics, institutes of technology, and PTEs with 2023 data. This is the first year that we have been able to show strand information, which is a valuable addition to the data landscape, and helps provide a more nuanced picture of learners in Muka Tangata industry-related qualifications.

Workforce updates 

Our Workforce data shows the total workforce size for each industry group, which includes how many people are employed in an industry and helps track industry trends in order to plan for future needs. This also includes monthly employee numbers, which show seasonal trends and provide more information on how employment changes throughout the year. We have now updated this data to reflect the workforce size in 2022. Overall, across Muka Tangata industries, we have seen a slow decline in workforce size, since sector wide workforce numbers peaked in 2019.

At the bottom of this section, you can find a further breakdown for workforce demographics.

This information helps us understand who is working in our industries so that we can support better workforce and vocational education and training planning.

You will find more detailed information for all of this data in each industry Workforce Development Plan, with sector wide information available in the All, People, Food and Fibre page of the website. Simply go to the industry of interest and scroll down the page to find the Trends and Analysis section.