The table illustrates the employment distribution of males and females across various industries in New Zealand in 1993 and 2003.
Overall, while employment patterns underwent significant changes over the decade, the services and transport sector remained the largest employer for both genders. In contrast, agriculture, building, and social services consistently accounted for the smallest shares of the workforce. Notably, male participation in agriculture declined sharply, whereas female employment in business saw a remarkable rise.
In 1993, the services and transport sector employed over half (53%) of the female workforce, making it the dominant industry for women, followed by manufacturing at 25%. However, by 2003, these figures dropped substantially to 36% and 12%, respectively. Similarly, agriculture experienced a marginal decline of 2 percentage points, reaching 6%. Conversely, employment rates in all other sectors increased, with the most significant growth in business, which rose from just 1% to 22%. Female participation in social services also saw a substantial increase, reaching 18%, while the building sector experienced a modest rise to 6%.
For males, agriculture was the most dominant sector in 1993, employing 38% of the male workforce. However, by 2003, this proportion plummeted to just 8%, representing the sharpest decline in any sector. In contrast, the services and transport sector grew steadily, rising from 22% to 31%, making it the leading industry for men. Employment in business and manufacturing showed moderate growth, reaching 25% and 17%, respectively. Meanwhile, participation in social services nearly doubled, increasing from 5% to 9%, whereas the building sector grew slightly from 12% to 10%.