4.2 Education and work histories (continued)
| Variables | Sole Maori | Mixed Maori | Non- Maori |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion Female | 0.458 | 0.627 | 0.510 |
| Proportion with School Certificate | 0.667* | 0.706* | 0.831 |
| Proportion with 6th Form or Higher School Certificate | 0.417** | 0.549** | 0.674 |
| Proportion with University Bursary | 0.063** | 0.157* | 0.292 |
| Proportion with University Diploma or Degree | 0.042 | 0.000* | 0.043 |
| Effective Years of Formal Education | 12.58** | 12.95* | 13.41 |
| Proportion with Vocational Qualification | 0.521 | 0.549 | 0.494 |
| Ages 16 to 21, Years Not Enrolled in Education or Training | 3.336** | 2.946* | 2.569 |
| Ages 16 to 21, Years of Work Experience | 2.120 | 1.868** | 2.278 |
| Ages 16 to 21, Years Unemployed | 0.625** | 0.820** | 0.360 |
| At Age 21, Proportion Working | 0.542* | 0.608* | 0.703 |
| For those Working, Proportion Part-Time | 0.154* | 0.258 | 0.362 |
| For those Working, Mean Weekly Hours of Work | 39.08* | 33.290 | 31.29 |
| For those Working, Mean Hourly Earnings | $9.12 | $9.71 | $9.26 |
| At Age 21, Proportion Unemployed | 0.146 | 0.176* | 0.089 |
| At Age 21, Proportion Receiving UB or DPB | 0.208* | 0.235* | 0.124 |
| At Age 21, Proportion Enrolled in Education or Training | 0.208* | 0.157** | 0.375 |
| For those Enrolled, Proportion Enrolled Part-Time | 0.200 | 0.250 | 0.131 |
| For those Enrolled, Proportion Working | 0.300* | 0.625 | 0.610 |
| Number of Observations | 48 | 51 | 874 |
** Maori mean (sole or mixed ethnicity) significantly different from non-Maori mean at 1% level.
* Maori mean (sole or mixed ethnicity) significantly different from non-Maori mean at 10% level.
Notes: These data are taken from the 973 respondents in the CHDS who provided valid information for the purposes of this study. Youth are defined as ‘Sole Maori’ in this table if they identify Maori as their only ethnicity at age 21. Youth are defined as ‘Mixed Maori’ if they report both Maori and any other ethnicity, and had at least one parental figure claiming Maori ancestry by age 14. All other youth are considered to be ‘non-Maori’.
The same relative rankings across the three ethnic groups hold for the mean levels of potential work experience. Sole Maori have the highest years not enrolled in education or training (3.336), followed by mixed Maori (2.946) and non-Maori (2.569).
In terms of actual work experience, only the mean for mixed Maori (1.868) is significantly lower than the mean for non-Maori (2.278). Although means for work experience between sole Maori (2.120) and non-Maori are not significantly different from one another, sole Maori have much higher levels of potential work experience than non-Maori. Again, we can take the ratios of actual to potential work experience for each ethnic group. These ratios are 0.887 for non-Maori (2.278/2.569), 0.635 for sole Maori (2.120/3.336) and 0.634 for mixed Maori (1.868/2.946). Thus, these ratios of actual-to-potential work experience are nearly identical for sole and mixed Maori, and substantially below the ratio for non-Maori.
Both sole and mixed Maori were significantly less likely to be employed at age 21 (54.2% and 60.8%, respectively) relative to non-Maori (70.3%). Yet, there is no evidence of systematic differences in hourly earnings by ethnicity. The average wages paid to workers who are sole Maori ($9.12) and mixed Maori ($9.71) were not significantly different from the mean wage paid to non-Maori ($9.26).
Both sole and mixed Maori acquired more time in unemployment between the ages 16 and 21 (0.625 and 0.820 years, respectively) compared to non-Maori (0.360 years). These differences are statistically significant at better than a 1% level. Although similar results are found for unemployment propensities at age 21, only the difference between mixed Maori (17.6%) and non-Maori (8.9%) is statistically significant at a 10% level.
Both sole and mixed Maori are significantly more likely to receive either UB or DPB (20.8% and 23.5%, respectively) than non-Maori (12.4%) at age 21. Both sole and mixed Maori are significantly less likely to be enrolled in either education or training (20.8% and 15.7%, respectively) than non-Maori (37.5%) at age 21.
We conclude that substantial differences exist between Maori and non-Maori youth in terms of their educational and employment histories by age 21. Although the mixed Maori group appears in some ways to be a ‘weighted average’ of the sole Maori and non-Maori groups (eg, school qualifications), in other respects, the sole and mixed Maori groups appear to be quite similar (eg, ratios of actual to potential work experience).
