Foreigners are flocking to New Zealand in record numbers after the nation loosened immigration rules to plug labor shortages.
A record net 98,391 non-New Zealand citizens arrived in the year through April 30, while 26,061 citizens departed, Statistics New Zealand said Tuesday in Wellington. That saw net immigration rise to 72,330, the biggest annual gain since July 2020 and up from a revised 65,755 in the 12 months through March.
“This is a positive sign that we are getting the workers our economy needs,” said Immigration Minister Michael Wood. “We know that many industries have been calling out for workers as the global labor shortage bites, and we want our immigration settings to be responsive to that.” In the month of April, net immigration slowed to 5,785 from more than 13,000 in each of the two previous months. Economists suggest that is a sign of an approaching peak in arrivals.
The Reserve Bank, which brought an end to its rate-tightening cycle in May, said it will continue to assess incoming data including the mix of immigrants. They include workers in the country for as little as two years but also those with families who settle and buy houses.
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