Valuing care work and care workers: workforce and equal pay issues in NZ aged residential care

This report was prepared for E tū (formerly the Service and Food Workers Union) of New Zealand, in relation to an equal remuneration case. It presents the findings of research on the characteristics of the care workforce in aged residential care services in New Zealand, and the nature and valuation of care work in this sector. The focus is on the non-professional workforce, called health care assistants (HCAs) or caregivers. The research is based on analysis of data from Statistics New Zealand, primarily from the Census of Population and Dwellings, research and public policy documents from New Zealand, and a survey of international research.