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Tatauranga Aotearoa | Stats NZ

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4.3
  • #6 in Government & public service
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Kate Wilkinson

It’s really exciting to see the concepts that I studied at university coming through in our data.
What’s your job about?

Stats NZ is New Zealand’s official data agency – we collect information from people and organisations and use it to publish data and insights about New Zealand.  

I’m a statistical and data analyst in the Labour Market team and primarily work on the quarterly Labour Market Statistics release which provides a picture of the New Zealand labour market, including unemployment and employment rates, demand for labour, and changes in wages and salaries. 

When I’m not working on the quarterly release, I work on helping users of our data with customised requests, as well as writing news stories about interesting topics pertaining to the labour market. We’re also always working to improve our processes and that often leads to interesting discussions about what other statistical organisations around the world are doing!

What’s your background?

I grew up in Wellington and moved to Dunedin to study Human Nutrition at the University of Otago in 2011. By the end of my first year, I realised that the course wasn’t for me, and spent 2012 trying out multiple papers to find what I was interested in. Failing that, I decided to take a break from study and move back to Wellington to work.

Looking back on it now, I think taking a break from the study was the best decision for me at the time. It allowed me to find what I was really interested in, so when I decided to go back to university in 2016, I went in with a purpose that I feel like I was missing when I started studying in Dunedin.   

I graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 2019 with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and Finance. My favourite papers were focused on labour economics and econometrics, so when I saw the job listing for an analyst in the Labour Market team at Stats NZ, I knew it would be a great fit for me.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Of course! While statistical or subject matter knowledge is certainly helpful, every different background brings a unique perspective to the role which helps us to work more effectively.

Other useful skills for the job are attention to detail, critical thinking, a willingness to learn, and being able to communicate your ideas clearly.

What’s the coolest thing about your job?

It’s really exciting to see the concepts that I studied at university coming through in our data. I can get quite carried away talking about the theory supporting the movements!

It’s also extremely rewarding to know that the work we’re doing can impact the lives of New Zealanders - I wrote a news story that sparked interesting discussions in the media surrounding the nature of working multiple jobs in New Zealand. It was great to see so many people getting involved and sharing their thoughts and experiences. 

What are the limitations of your job?

My job requires a lot of analytical thinking, and I spend a large amount of my time at a desk dealing with data. It’s great for me, but I fully appreciate that that doesn’t sound appealing to everyone!

Working in a quarterly release team means that we work with short deadlines, and that can result in some high-pressure situations and working long hours.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student…
  • Take papers just because you’re interested in them!
  • Figure out how you learn the most effective and don’t worry about what other people are doing.
  • Ask questions – your lecturers and tutors are there to help you, and it’ll be so much quicker than trying to figure it out on your own.