Migrants to NZ increasing and more highly skilled
09 August 2006

New immigration figures show the number of people migrating to New Zealand continues to outweigh the number leaving. The figures also show that those migrating were more high skilled than those leaving.

Over the past eight months net migration to New Zealand has risen steadily to 10,700 in the year to June, compared with 8593 in June 2005. It is expected to rise to about 12,000 in the year to March 2007. During the last decade, the average yearly net gain is 10,300.

The Department of Labour said the recovery had been driven by both growing arrivals and declining departures. About 1150 fewer people emigrated from New Zealand this year and just under 1000 more arrived.

With regard to New Zealand's skill shortages, a department spokeswoman said the high skill level of migrants was more than just a statistical blip. 'The pattern of immigrants appearing more skilled than our emigrants (and than the general population) is a trend' the department's deputy secretary of work directions, Monique Dawson said.

The current data covered the past five years, 'and this trend is also apparent across the 1990s.' Permanent resident approvals rose five per cent to more than 51,000 during the June year and the number of work permits issued rose 21 per cent to almost 100,000.

The flow of New Zealanders heading to Australia may also have peaked. The number of New Zealanders crossing the Tasman fell to 29,700 in June from 30,600 in December 2005. However, departures to Australia were volatile and coincided closely with economic and labour market changes in Australia.

'The number of people departing to Australia rose steadily from 1993 until early 2001', Ms Dawson noted. 'The number fell sharply over the next two years before rising until late 2005 and then falling slightly over the last six months.'

The figures also indicate that New Zealand's brightest are leaving for destinations further afield than Australia. Some 18,000 New Zealanders left for countries other than Australia but they were more skilled than people crossing the Tasman or the general New Zealand workforce.

A breakdown of New Zealanders versus non-New Zealanders permanently entering the country over the last year shows an increase in non-New Zealanders, especially from Britain. Arrivals from Asia were steady except for a fall in student-aged Asians.

Student permits fell 11 per cent to almost 70,000.

The number of returning New Zealanders remained fairly steady, edging down to 24,000 from 25,000 in the previous year.