Story: Midlife adults
Page 3 – Paid and voluntary work
Paid work
In June 2009, 81% of midlife adults were employed either full-time or part-time. The proportion of midlife adults in the paid labour force decreased with age, from 87% of 45–49-year-olds to 67% of 60–64-year-olds.
Career development and remuneration often peaks in the earlier years of midlife, when most women who have taken time out to raise children have re-entered the workforce and are making progress in their careers.
In 2006 the age groups with the highest median annual personal incomes were 45–49-year-olds ($35,200) and 50–54-year-olds ($34,600). The median income for all over-15-year-olds was $24,400. The largest occupation groups for midlife adults were corporate managers and associated professionals. Midlife workers dominate some industries – in 2006, 55% of residential care services employees, 53% of private household employees and 49% of rail transport employees were aged between 45 and 64.
Many midlife adults keep working because they have financial commitments, want to maintain a good lifestyle, are successful in their careers and enjoy what they do. They like the companionship, mental stimulation and sense of purpose work gives them. They are happy with their work–life balance, especially when they work part-time. Māori and Pacific people are more likely than others to want to stay at work for economic reasons.
Midlife MPs
In December 2009, 85 of New Zealand’s 122 members of Parliament (70%) were aged from 45 to 64. People typically become MPs after they have established a record of success in their careers or in community service.
Leaving work
Most people leave work for health reasons or because they want to do something different. About one in 10 leave because they need to care for someone else. Having grandchildren and wanting to spend more time with family are important reasons why midlife adults want more time away from work. More people work part-time as they get older – 17% of employed 45–49-year-olds worked part-time in 2006, as did 26% of 60–64-year-olds.
Voluntary work
In 2006, almost 20% of people aged 40 to 64 had done some voluntary work (other than caring for a child outside the home or for someone with an illness or disability) in the four weeks before census night. This was the highest figure for all age groups. Overall, people were more likely to do voluntary work as they got older. Women were more active as volunteers than men.
