The results of a nationwide survey aimed at finding out how we will cope with the needs of the growing ranks of ageing baby boomers was released on Monday 24 August 2009.
The survey, the first of its type, shows how older New Zealanders are faring today and confronts the policy issues posed by a greying population. Researchers say the results provide a valuable insight into what contributes towards a good quality of life for the elderly today, and have significant implications for what life might be like for those for whom retirement looms.
This survey provides a snapshot of what 52 large employers, employing 217,721 New Zealanders were doing in early 2008 about superannuation for their employees. The survey asked whether employers are happy with what they do and what the government does and whether they might be changing their superannuation arrangements in the context of the changes in the last 12 months related to KiwiSaver. August 2008.
This is the Stage 1 and 2 Report of research which aims to explore the attitudes of employers to ageing workforce issues and to find out what actions and adjustments are already being made to meet the challenges. It is a joint project by the Institute for Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington and the New Zealand Institute of Management (NZIM). Stage 1 was a postal survey of NZIM members, conducted in mid-2007. Stage 2 consisted of 20 face-to-face interviews with respondents from Stage 1. April 2008.
This article in Policy Quarterly discusses two ways of managing assets for income in retirement - annuitisation and drawdown - and makes a case for some state intervention to facilitate some version of annuitisation. 2008.
Factors that influence retirement decisions are important in both personal and policy terms. Information on a range of factors, including health and financial circumstances, is reviewed in this paper, with particular reference to New Zealand sources, especially the Health, Work and Retirement Study. The findings of the qualitative interviews that were part of this study illustrate how the influences interact, and highlight the importance of life-course factors, both personal and contextual, which underlie decisions about workforce participation in mid- and later life. March 2008.
Demographic Trends is Statistics New Zealand's main reference volume on population and related statistics. Published annually, it carries commentaries, diagrams and tables on the major demographic indicators of the New Zealand population. Population change and structure is examined along with migration trends. Other topics covered include fertility, marriage, divorce, mortality, external migration, subnational populations, induced abortions, and national and subnational demographic projections.
Of the approximately half a million New Zealanders over the age of 65, around 51,000 are entitled to at least two public pensions: one from New Zealand, and at least one other from abroad. This means that around 10% of superannuitants are subject to the direct deduction policy as set out in section 70 of the Social Security Act 1964. Section 70 mandates a dollar-for-dollar abatement of New Zealand Superannuation entitlements against a superannuitant’s, or the spouse’s, overseas entitlement.
This statistical volume aims to bring together key information on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of older New Zealanders (aged 65 years and over) to assist researchers, planners, policy makers, administrators and others interested in ageing-related issues. 2004.
This report is the first step in the establishment of a five yearly cycle of monitoring the wellbeing and quality of life of older New Zealanders. The report is organised around 10 outcomes domains that capture aspects of wellbeing and quality of life for older people. These domains reflect the broadly agreed understanding of positive ageing as set out in the Positive Ageing Strategy. The overall picture from this first report is that most of this generation of older New Zealanders are well-equipped to participate positively in society. August 2007.