Multiple job holding: interpreting economic, social and labour market change in Ashburton District...
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Transcript of Multiple job holding: interpreting economic, social and labour market change in Ashburton District...
Multiple job holding: interpreting economic, social and labour market
change in Ashburton District
Nicola RobertsonTaylor Baines and Associates
Harvey PerkinsLincoln University
Nick TaylorTaylor Baines and Associates
www.tba.co.nzWe gratefully acknowledge funding support from the Building Research Capability in the Social Sciences
programme for the development of the paper which led to this presentation. The research was funded by the Foundation for Research Science and Technology.
Content of presentation Data on multiple job holding by settlement type,
New Zealand, 1981-2001 The research area, Ashburton District Data on multiple job holding by area unit, Ashburton
District, 1981-2001 Case study interviews and research issues Qualitative data BRCSS, building my research capacity
New Zealand multiple job holding rate by settlement type
1981 1991 2001 Main urban area 3.9 6.2 8.2 Satellite urban area 4.0 6.4 8.7 Independent urban 4.0 7.1 9.2 Rural – high urban influence 7.3 12.2 19.6 Rural – moderate urban influence 6.3 12.0 20.6 Predominately rural 5.8 12.3 20.3 Highly rural/remote 5.4 12.0 20.3 All types 4.2 7.2 10.2
Work, employment and rural social and economic relations
Research in the early 1990s showed pluriactivity was a common economic strategy for farm households looking to diversify their sources of income
Farm men and women worked off farm and in alternative enterprises, there was an increase in part-time work
The additional income helped to defend farm equity and provide greater opportunity for retirement and succession
Our research now shows multiple job holding amongst farmers is more established as a long-term feature of farm households than supposed by observers (including ourselves!) in the aftermath of the 1980s "farm crisis"
Ashburton District in Canterbury District is undergoing major
economic and labour market change
Shortage of skilled labour is resulting in a more ethnically diverse population
Dairying has transformed the previously mixed farming distrcit (increase 100,000 cows 1990-2003)
Methven: dual economy of farming and tourism (based around skiing at Mt Hutt)
District multiple job holding rates by area units
Area units 1981 1991 2001 Ashburton (6 area units) 2.4 – 5.1 6.2 – 8.8 6.2 – 11.2 Methven 5.1 9.2 13 Rakaia 6.3 7.4 9.5 Fairton 8.7 11.3 15.1 Plains Railway 9.5 13.7 22.4 Mt Somers 4.3 11.5 23.5 Hinds 6.1 12.7 24.8 Chertsey 4.1 13.1 20.8
Case study in-depth interviews A purposive sample of multiple job holders: 60 men and
women for each of six sectors across New Zealand People were identified through directories, local contacts and
snow balling Interviewees were selected if they had more than one job in
the course of the most recent week A schedule of closed and open ended questions took between
60 and 90 minutes to complete (interviews conducted by Nicola Robertson)
This presentation focuses on the 96 interviews in the Ashburton District: 59 farming sector, 25 accommodation sector, and 12 accounting sector
Research issues Some interviewees did not consider they were
multiple job holders Particularly if all their jobs were in the same
sector (like farming) E.g. Farmer, Seed Company Manager, and
Director Others did not initially consider work done on the
farm as a second job E.g. Teacher and Farmer
Multiple job holding is well established in all three sectors
Small accommodation sector 92% had held more than one job in previous years
Farming sector 80% had held more than one job in previous years
Accounting sector 67% had held more than one job in previous years
Overall Respondents stayed within natural resource communities for
seasonal work and as the labour market changed
The economic downturn as a stimulus for multiple job holding
During the 1980s many women within the Ashburton District sought off-farm employment when their family farms became economically unviable
Professional women, like teachers and nurses, in particular returned to the paid workforce
E.g. Cathy, aged 58, worked 72 hours, as a farmer and nurse. She resumed her nursing career 21 years ago during the farming recession to boost household income. However, paid work for women at the time was seen as socially unacceptable and the attitudes of neighbours caused Cathy distress
Multiple job holding of younger farmers
21% of all respondents were aged 30-39 years Younger farmers used multiple job holding as a
strategy to secure an economically viable farm unit or for long term capital growth
E.g. Tony, aged 39, worked 35 hours farming and 28 hours as a wool assessor. He does the latter to buy the other shareholders out of the farm. Tony takes no farm drawings
Multiple job holding towards retirement
42% of respondents were aged 50-69 years 25% of respondents used multiple job holding as a strategy
towards retirement, particularly in the accommodation sector Accommodation Sector
Multiple job holding allowed for a flexible lifestyle whilst earning income from the accommodation business
40% were planning for retirement and 22% had just retired from a long term job
E.g. Harold, aged 59, worked 30 hours as a real estate consultant and 20 hours as a Bed and Breakfast Co-owner. He said, “[I] can slide into middle/old age and keep the jobs”. Harold intends doing both jobs until he retires
Why hold multiple jobs?
Many people are involved in multiple job holding because they want to, not because they have to, compared to the 1980s and the period of rural restructuring 65% wanted another job/s 23% both wanted and had to have another job/s 6% said they had to have multiple jobs
91% of all respondents described having more than one job as positive
The benefits of holding multiple jobs
Include: 96% variation and stimulation of the work 81% level of income obtained 79% social contact and making friends 68% helps build work experience 61% security of income 60% keeps my “hand in” my main occupation
Some research conclusions Since rural restructuring of the 1980s the labour market has
seen more casualisation and flexible work patterns People have coped with changing rural social and economic
conditions by adopting a strategy of multiple job holding to earn desired incomes and have satisfying work
Multiple job holding in Ashburton District allows people to move from the “full-time” standard working week to organise their personal and working lives in their rural communities
For the majority interviewed, multiple job holding is a positive choice rather than an economic necessity
The steady increase in multiple job holding rates in the Ashburton District since 1981 reflects new economic and social arrangements in a diversified and multifunctional rural district based around seasonal work
BRCSS: building research capacity Opportunity to further analyse existing multiple job holding
data research and other TBA projects in Ashburton District Read theoretical literature to understand the context of the
multiple job holding project better (previously I had just conducted interviews and written working papers for TBA)
Technologically become more profficient by using PowerPoint and a USB drive for the first time last year
Gained skills in academic authorship by presenting my first international conference paper (IAG, Melbourne, July 2007)
Co-authored (with Harvey and Nick) my first peer reviewed journal article, awaiting publication with Sociologia Ruralis
Professional development at gatherings like this have helped me as a rural based sociologist