{"id":54905,"date":"2025-06-18T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/absoluteimmigration.com\/nz\/?p=54905"},"modified":"2025-06-17T12:17:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T02:17:20","slug":"nz-citizens-departing-migrants-arriving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/absoluteimmigration.com\/nz\/news\/nz-citizens-departing-migrants-arriving\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ Citizens Departing, Migrants Arriving"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Photo credit: Tourism NZ Visual Library<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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New Zealand is facing a growing workforce challenge as more of its citizens seek opportunities overseas. New Zealand is grappling with an increasingly urgent workforce challenge, fuelled by a combination of domestic and global pressures. Rising living costs, limited career progression, and competitive salaries abroad are prompting more New Zealanders to consider opportunities offshore. At the same time, employers across critical industries \u2014 including healthcare, construction, engineering, and the service sectors \u2014 are struggling to fill roles and maintain productivity. These trends are reshaping the labour market and forcing businesses to adapt rapidly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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Migration trends have shifted in New Zealand, with <\/span>Stats NZ<\/span><\/span><\/a> recording a net gain of <\/span>30,600<\/a><\/span> migrants from November 2024. This came as 127,800 people left New Zealand and more than 158,400 people relocated to New Zealand. The net figure represents a sharp slowdown compared to the peak in October 2023, when net migration surged to 135,700. This represents one of the largest outbound movements in the past decade, driven by a mix of economic pressures, cost of living, higher wages abroad, and lifestyle shifts.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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For local businesses, this trend is creating serious talent shortages. To remain resilient and meet operational demands, many New Zealand employers are turning to skilled migrant workers as a solution to bridge these workforce gaps.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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Why are New Zealanders leaving?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>

There are several key factors contributing to the outflow of Kiwi workers:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>