Maori Occupational Segregation

There are many schemata of occupational classification. One of the more satisfactory is the Smith scheme which classified white-collar occupations into six groups. This schema was adapted by Hill and Brosnan to include blue-collar occupations and used to compare the occupational distribution of New Zealand’s major ethnic groups as at the 1981 census. This article uses that revised schema to examine and compare changes in the Maori and non-Maori occupational distributions over 1956-1981. Males and females are treated separately. The article also presents median incomes for each group of the Smith data and draws the implications for policy of the uneven distribution of Maoris and non-Maoris between the occupation groups. It is well established that Maoris have lower incomes than other Ne