Report: Pacific Women and the Gender Pay Gap
No matter how we measure, large ethnic pay gaps exist for Pacific women. Compared to all men, gender and ethnicity combine to create a pay gap of 15.2 percent. Compared with Pacific men, Pacific women have a pay gap of 2.7 percent.
Only 39% of Pacific Women’s pay gap can be explained - and where it can be explained, job-related factors such as type of contract, occupation and industry are the key factor. The “unexplained” remainder could relate to ethnic differences in work preferences, and unconscious bias and discrimination in the labour market.
It's true that pay gaps for Pacific women vary by occupation. The most common occupations for Pacific women are as Professionals, as Community and Personal Service Workers, and as Clerical and Administration Workers.
The pay gap exists even for the highest paid Pacific women. Pacific women who work as professionals are the best paid but have a pay gap of 14.9% with all male professionals, and Pacific women managers have a 25.4% pay gap with all male managers.
Employers have an important role in reducing inequality and ensuring that Pacific Women’s capability is realised, and contribution rewarded. For our recommended actions for employers, take a look at the “What Can Employers Do?” page.
| Occupation (by most to fewest Pacific women) | Pacific Women's median hourly pay | All men's median hourly pay | Pacific women's pay gap compared with all men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professionals (18,600 women) | $38.36 | $45.07 | 14.9% |
| Community and Personal Service workers (13,700 women) | $26.00 | $28.25 | 8.0% |
| Clerical and Administration workers (13,500 women) | $29.73 | $32.13 | 7.5% |
| Labourers (11,500 women) | $23.75 | $26.50 | 10.4% |
| Sales workers (10,500 women) | $24.64 | $25.50 | 3.4% |
| Managers (9,400 women) | $31.17 | $41.81 | 25.4% |
| Machinery operators and drivers (2,900 women) | $25.70 | $28.50 | 9.8% |
| Technicials and Trade workers (2,200 women) | $26.37 | $31.00 | 14.9% |
| Total All Occupations (82,400 women) | $28.00 | $33.00 | 15.2% |
There are around 85,700 Pacific women employed in the New Zealand labour force – this means that Pacific women make up around 2.9% of the total labour force, and 47.2% of the Pacific labour force.
Of Pacific women aged 15 or older, in 2022:
- 64.9% were in the labour force (employed, or looking for employment)
- 60.1% were employed
- 7.4% of Pacific women in the labour force were unemployed.
A 2018 study by the Ministry of Education (drawing from their 2018 PISA database) showed that 15-year-old Pacific girls aspired to the following top 10 careers:
- Nurses and Midwives
- Lawyers
- Travel Attendants and Travel Stewards
- Doctors
- Teachers
- Police Officers
- Architects
- Musical Performers
- Designers
- Actors
Pacific Women in Business
In 2020, the Ministry for Women conducted research into Pacific women who own and work within their own businesses. We found that:
- Around 1,200 Pacific women are in business for themselves
- Pacific women’s businesses were all in urban areas, with a majority (75 percent) in the major urban centres of Auckland, Wellington and the Waikato
- The top industries for Pacific women’s businesses were: professional, scientific and technical services; construction; and health care and social assistance.
Pacific Women in Leadership
Following the 2020 election, of the 120 Members of Parliament, six (or 5 percent of all MPs) self-identify as Pacific women.
Pacific women in the Public Service
While Pacific people make up 10.7% of the New Zealand public service (source: Public Sector Workforce Data 2023), Pacific people are under-represented as managers and policy analysts compared with Pākehā public servants. Pacific women and men are well-represented as inspectors and regulatory officers, and as social, health and education workers.
The relationship between gender ethnic pay gaps and sectors of work is being investigated by Manatū Wāhine in association with Auckland University of Technology. A forthcoming report will identify the size of gender and ethnic pay gaps by sector, and their drivers, to help businesses identify where they can take action.