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Story: Workforce composition

Older people in the workforce, 1986–2006

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Older people in the workforce, 1986–2006

The tradition of retiring by 65 is on the wane in New Zealand. In 1986 about 20,000 people aged 65 or more were still working. By 2006 that number had increased four-fold, to over 80,000. This is partly because the number of older people in the total population increased during this period. The improving health of older people, the willingness of employers to take on or keep older workers, and the abolition of a compulsory retirement age were other factors.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Paul Callister and Robert Didham, Workforce composition – Age, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/22705/older-people-in-the-workforce-1986-2006 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Paul Callister and Robert Didham, published 14 April 2010.