Pay gap by ethnicity is the average salary for an ethnic group as a percentage of the average salary of those not in that ethnic group. Table 3 presents various pay gap measures for ethnic groups in the Public Service and the wider labour force. Adjusting for occupation results in a smaller pay gap and reflects the effect occupation has on pay, and that some ethnic groups are more highly represented in occupations characterised by lower pay. The younger age profile of some ethnic groups in the Public Service (and the wider population) has an effect on pay gaps and when adjusting for both occupation and age the pay gap reduces further.
Table 3. Pay gaps for ethnic groups in Public Service and Labour force - 2006
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Public Service
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Labour force
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Unadjusted
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Occupation adjusted
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Age & occupation adjusted
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Unadjusted
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Occupation adjusted
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Māori
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12%
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5%
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4%
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15%
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8%
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Pacific peoples
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21%
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11%
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6%
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19%
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10%
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Asian peoples
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9%
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6%
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4%
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Not available
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Not available
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Pay gaps for ethnic groups have either reduced or stayed the same in the Public Service and in the labour force. For Māori, the occupation-adjusted pay gap in the Public Service was 5% (6% in 2005) and 8% (8% in 2005) in the employed labour force as a whole. For Pacific peoples, the gap was 11% (11% in 2005) in the Public Service and 10% (15% in 2005) in the employed labour force. The occupation-adjusted pay gap for Asian public servants was 6% (7% in 2005). Comparable data for Asian peoples in the wider labour force are not available.
There are also gender pay gaps (adjusted for age and occupation) within different ethnic groups in the Public Service:
- Māori women were paid on average 3% less than Māori men and 10% less than all men.
- Pacific women were paid on average 3% less than Pacific men and 12% less than all men.
- Asian women were paid on average 4% less than Asian men and 11% less than all men.
