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Motu Research is an independent, public-good focused economics and policy research institute. 

We help Kiwi decision makers grapple with complex social and environmental issues.
New Zealand and the world

Accounting for social difference when measuring cultural diversity

Authors: Dave Maré | Jacques Poot

Working Paper

In this paper we introduce a measure of cultural diversity that takes ‘social difference’ between country of birth and ethnic groups into account. 

 

We measure social difference using exploratory factor analysis of subjective identity, attitude…

Human rights

Monitoring enjoyment of the rights to adequate housing and health care and protection in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors: Livvy Mitchell | Susan Randolph | Paddy Baylis

Working Paper

This new paper shows successive New Zealand Governments have failed to keep human rights promises so all Kiwis can have the basic levels of housing and health care and protection in Aotearoa. The New Zealand…

Updates

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2022-06-29

Shakked Noy wins the Motu Doctoral Scholarship 2022

A big congratulations to Shakked Noy, who has been awarded the 2022 Motu Doctoral Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to…

2022-05-02

Applications are open for our Āheitanga Thesis Scholarship

Applications are open for our Āheitanga Thesis Scholarship. Every year, Motu Research offers a $10,000 scholarship pool to promising university…

2022-03-18

Hiring Research Analysts - applications now closed

Do top quality economic and public policy research for the public good

Our Research

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Public Policy Seminars

June 16, 2022

How can Aotearoa New Zealand best approach immigration policy to boost productivity and wellbeing?

In this seminar, the Productivity Commission presented its recent research on immigration and its final recommendations to the NZ Government on what immigration policy settings would best help Aotearoa New Zealand’s long-term economic growth, productivity and the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

Recent events

January 27, 2022

The Warmer Kiwis Study: An impact evaluation of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme.

The Warmer Kiwis Study focuses on the heat pump component of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, and works directly with a group of about 160 homeowners, who have received, or will receive a grant for an efficient heater. Motu Economic & Public Policy Research, who are leading the study, are collecting new data on health and wellbeing, the indoor environment in homes (including temperature and humidity), and electricity consumption to investigate the actual improvements achieved through EECA’s programme. The study began in 2021, with interim results the subject of this webinar and an interim report to be published on the same day. Final results will be published in December 2022.

November 30, 2021

The role of energy data in enabling climate change mitigation innovation

In this webinar, Gavin Starks provided an introduction to Open Energy: what it is, how it was made and who it is for. He spoke about the Open Energy ecosystem and the relationships and innovation required to establish market-wide standards which can unlock the common data required to help us all address Net Zero. He also covered how opening up the energy sector will impact the wider industrial and financial sectors, enabling the acceleration of low-carbon technologies and de-risking investment in net-zero solutions.

November 1, 2021

Wellbeing and policy, Aotearoa style

Treasury’s Living Standards Framework has been closely aligned with international models such as the OECD for over ten years. Some have said it is too generic and not sufficiently attuned to what wellbeing means in this country. In this seminar we will discuss He Ara Waiora, a mātauranga Māori framing of wellbeing that the Treasury now uses alongside the LSF. We will also discuss some new changes to the LSF that make it work better alongside He Ara Waiora, as well as being better attuned to the topics of child wellbeing and culture.

Featured work

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Individual and group outcomes

Effective pathways through education to good labour market outcomes for Māori: Literature summary

Authors: Isabelle Sin | Nic Watson | Shannon Minehan

Working Paper

This literature review provides background for a forthcoming empirical investigation of the pathways through education that lead to successful labour market outcomes for Māori students with different aptitudes in high school. It summarises three main areas…
New Zealand and the world

Accounting for social difference when measuring cultural diversity

Authors: Dave Maré | Jacques Poot

Working Paper

In this paper we introduce a measure of cultural diversity that takes ‘social difference’ between country of birth and ethnic groups into account.   We measure social difference using exploratory factor analysis of subjective identity, attitude…
Individual and group outcomes

Who benefits from firm success? Heterogeneous rent-sharing in New Zealand

Authors: Dave Maré | Corey Allan

Working Paper

See a summary version of this paper by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Do people from different demographics in Aotearoa New Zealand get equal slices of the pie when their workplace passes
Individual and group outcomes

Impact of 2018 Families Package Accommodation Supplement area changes on housing outcomes

Authors: Dave Maré | Dean Hyslop

Working Paper

Our research shows there is little evidence the 2018 increases in the New Zealand Government's accommodation support led to stronger increases in rental costs.
Agricultural economics

How climate affects agricultural land values in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors: Farnaz Pourzand | Kendon Bell

Working Paper

This paper examines how differences in climate across space influence the value of New Zealand agricultural land.
Climate Teams: International Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Climate Action Teams (CATs)

Authors: Catherine Leining | Suzi Kerr | Ana Pueyo

Article

Researchers (including some from Motu Research) have developed Climate Action Teams (CATs), an innovative way for countries to use the latest global climate summit (COP26) rulebook for international carbon markets — in a way that…
Individual and group outcomes

Do workers share in firm success? Pass-through estimates for New Zealand

Authors: Dave Maré | Corey Allan

Working Paper

Do wages increase when firm performance improves? Yes, but not as much.Aotearoa New Zealand, like many other developed countries, has had a decline in the share of total national income that goes to workers. Workers' wage…
Individual and group outcomes

Rates of driver licence holding in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors: Isabelle Sin | Hannah Kotula

Note

This note describes the rates which various subpopulations of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population hold licences for motor cars and light motor vehicles.
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Wellington 6142, New Zealand

Phone: 64 4 939 4250

Email: info@motu.org.nz