The Department of Labour (Māori: Te Tari Mahi) was a New Zealand public sector organisation tasked with improving the performance of the labour market and, through this, strengthening the economy and increasing the standard of living.
The Labour Department Act 1893 defined the general duties of and powers of the department, which were to administer the labour laws, acquire and disseminate knowledge of occupations with a view to improving relations between employers and workers, and collect and publish information on industries and rates of wages.[2] Over time, the functions of the department changed, including the acquisition of responsibilities around employment. The department's functions were reaffirmed through the Labour Department Act 1954. As a result, the Employment and Immigration Departments were merged into the Department of Labour.[4]
One division of the Department of Labour was the Immigration Department, which was established in 1912. The Immigration Department underwent several incarnations including the Immigration Division and Immigration Service before assuming its current name, Immigration New Zealand.[5][6]
The Department produced a monthly paper, the Labour Journal. Publication ended in April 1917, after which some of the Department's statistics appeared in the Government Statistician's Monthly Abstract.[7]
From 1977 to 1980 the Department of Labour ran a Temporary Employment Programme (TEP) where in 1979 out of the 23,700 registered unemployed there were 26,100 employed in special work programmes mostly the TEP.[8] From 1980 to 1986 was the Project Employment Programme (PEP scheme) for unemployed workers.[9]
Martin, John E. (1996). Holding the Balance: A History of New Zealand's Department of Labour 1891-1995. Christchurch, NZ: Canterbury University Press. ISBN0908812612.