Ethnic pay gaps are a significant human right issue The data on the disparity between Pacific workers and workers of other ethnicities is stark and represents a significant human rights issue. In 2021, the gap between the median hourly earnings of Pacific men and Pākehā men was 18.8 percent. The gap was even larger between Pākehā men and Pacific women at 25.1 percent. Alongside Māori women, who experience an 18.9% pay gap, Pacific men and women experience the largest pay gaps compared to other ethnic groups. This means that, for every $1.00 a Pākehā man earns, a Pacific man earns $0.81 and a Pacific woman earns $0.75 (see Figure 1). Figure 1 What is the Pacific Pay Gap? What is the Pacific Pay Gap? The Pacific Pay Gap is the difference in pay between Pacific workers and Pākeha men. For every $1.00 a Pākeha man earns: Pākeha men Pākeha women Māori men Māori women Pacific men Pacific women $1.00 $0.89 $0.86 $0.81 $0.81 $0.75 * Calculated based on median hourly earnings from main job in 2021 from Stats NZ Household Labour Force Survey data. There is no evidence in the historical data available since 2009 that the Pacific Pay Gap is decreasing over time. As Figure 2 shows, there is no significant trend – either upwards or downwards – to suggest the Pacific Pay Gap is decreasing for men or women. Voices of Pacific peoples 21