A sociologist says it is alarming that New Zealand’s “best and brightest” are leaving the country in droves, after a report detailed New Zealand’s migration rates have hit an all-time high.
Yesterday, Statistics New Zealand revealed a net migration loss of 52,500 people that had left the country in the 12 months to the end of March.
Stats NZ said for every migrant arrival of a New Zealand citizen, there were three migrant departures.
Sociologist Paul Spoonley told Breakfast that some of the most skilled workers leaving is a “huge loss to the country”.
Sociologist Paul Spoonley said he was “very alarmed” that the country was losing its best and brightest.
“This is just stratospheric … I mean, 70,000 departures … that’s a lot of people going.”
The overall loss of New Zealand citizens was made up of 25,800 migrant arrivals, and 78,200 migrant departures.
He said what is distinctive about New Zealand diaspora is it has a very high proportion of people who are tertiary qualified and skilled.
“You see our best and brightest [are] going offshore, and our student debt system does not, well it facilitates it really, it encourages them to go.”
On where the New Zealand citizens are headed to, Stats NZ said “over half” of the departures were to Australia.
Spoonley cited a downturn in good, available jobs and job insecurity as likely causes for people wanting to hop across the ditch.
“We have a country which is very large compared to us, it has much better salaries and wages compared to us, the Australians are over here actively recruiting at the moment. And when you look at the starting salary, and they’re providing you with a $25,000 relocation package, why wouldn’t you go?” he said.
Spoonley said migration was cyclical and he would expect the numbers leaving to come down in the next five years.
“Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the 25,000 who come back are blown out of the water by the 78,000 going offshore. And these are not people going on short-term visits. They are migrating.”
“These are very strange times. The migration patterns, the number of arrivals is just extraordinary, a quarter of a million people arrived to New Zealand as migrants,” he said.
“We’re seeing a lot coming in, but it’s that departure [rate]. It really is that university graduate, that person who’s just starting out in the labour market that is going, so it’s very concerning.”