Australia, New Zealand to move away from joint standard classification of occupations
Australia will introduce a new tailored occupational classification system later this year, departing from the joint Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) that has been in place since 2006.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced that the country will adopt the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), set to launch on December 6.
David Gruen, Australian statistician, emphasised that this change reflects the increasing differences between the two countries' labour markets.
"Joint management of the occupation classification has served both countries well. With increased differences between the Australian and New Zealand labour markets, the benefits of joint management are no longer compelling," Gruen said in a statement.
"Updating the occupation classification to reflect the contemporary Australian labour market is important, as is ensuring that Trans-Tasman comparisons can continue."
Meanwhile, New Zealand will also introduce its own country-specific classification system on November 20, according to Statistics New Zealand.
"Comparability with Australia is crucial, and this will be maintained as we introduce a New Zealand-focused list, with the benefit of reflecting our modern labour market," said Mark Sowden, New Zealand government statistician, in a statement.
Sowden added that their Trans-Tasman mutual recognition of accreditation "remains unchanged."
Despite the move, the ABS and Stats NZ remain committed to working closely to maintain comparability between their occupational statistics.
Both agencies also said they plan to develop concordances that will allow for consistent mapping between the classifications to maintain comparability, data continuity, and time-series analysis.
