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A Good Worker is Hard to Find: Skills Shortages in New Zealand Firms

Author Info

  • Mok, Penny

    ()

    (The New Zealand Treasury)

  • Mason, Geoff

    ()

    (National Institute of Economic and Social Research)

  • Stevens, Philip

    ()

    (Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand)

  • Timmins, Jason

    ()

    (Department of Labour)

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of firms’ skill shortages, using a specially-designed survey, the Business Strategy and Skills (BSS) module of the Business Operations Survey. We combine the BSS module with additional data on firms in the Statistics New Zealand’s prototype Longitudinal Business Database (LBD). We focus on vacancies that were hard-to-fill because the applicants lacked the necessary skills, qualification or experience - which we define as skill-related reasons (skill shortage vacancies). We also contrast these with vacancies that were hard-to-fill for non-skill-related reasons.

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Paper provided by Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand in its series Occasional Papers with number 12/5.

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Length: 75 pages
Date of creation: 01 May 2012
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ris:nzmedo:2012_005
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Keywords: skill shortages; hard-to-fill vacancies; Business Operations Survey; Heckman Selection model;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
  • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
  • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

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Cited by:

  1. Richard Fabling & Maré, David C, 2013. "Firm-level Hiring Difficulties: Persistence, Business Cycle and Local Labour Market Influences," Working Papers 13_06, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.

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