New Zealanders seek jobs overseas in record numbers as economy stutters
- If more New Zealanders were to stay overseas for a long time, it could lead to a demographic timebomb at home, economists warn
Auckland has started to feel like a “ghost town”, Chakrabarti said.
“With the pay in New Zealand, it was impossible to save. Making ends meet was hard, even with working in what would conventionally be viewed as a high-paying industry,” he told This Week in Asia.
Chakrabarti made the move to Sydney where the salary was typically higher than in Auckland for a similar role.
According to provisional data released by Statistics New Zealand on Tuesday, 131,200 people left in the year ending June 2024 – the highest number on record for a single year. Of the figure, over 80,000 were citizens, nearly double the pre-pandemic levels.
“Almost all of my friends have made a move to Australia so it seems that they have the same mindset as I do,” said Chakrabarti.
