Record decline of Aus intake of Kiwis

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Created on Monday, 25 March 2013 10:57

Written by Editorial staff

Immigration from New Zealand to Australia has fallen to a two-year low, which new data from Statistics New Zealand shows.

February saw 3,770 Kiwis leave the two islands on immigration visas, down from 3,920 in January and 860 less than the same period in 2012.

Net departures to Australia, as of February, were the lowest in exactly 48 months, according to Westpac economist Felix Delbruck.

"Migration flows are volatile from month to month but the modestly improving trend in Trans-Tasman migration seems to be firming," he told the New Zealand Herald.

"This is in line with our view that labour market prospects in Australia are becoming steadily less attractive relative to New Zealand."

Fewer departures to Australia can be attributed to an improving labour market, relative to Australia's, according to ASB economist Daniel Smith, who told the publication that momentum is growing with the Canterbury rebuild.

The rebuild involves seeing jobs return to Christchurch after the devastating earthquakes which rocked the city back in February 2011.

With many New Zealanders returning home from Australia, the overall net gain for the Kiwi nation was 550 for February, which resulted from 7,130 arrivals and 6,580 departures.