Abstract:
New Zealand census data from 1981 to 2006 indicate that holding formal qualifications, especially degrees or higher, and being partnered are associated with higher personal and household incomes for men and women aged 30–44. Those men and women aged 30-44 with no formal qualifications have faced real income declines. However, unlike in the United States (US), income growth in New Zealand has been poor even for the well educated. In the US, the existence of well-educated couples both earning good incomes has led to very strong growth in inflation adjusted incomes for these households, but this is not a pattern we have seen in New Zealand. Women are contributing a greater proportion of household incomes, but instead of seeing significant household income gains from their additional earnings, in New Zealand we are seeing inflation-adjusted household incomes remaining flat.
