Max was earning more as a dishwasher in Australia than as a university-qualified environmental monitoring technician back home in New Zealand. He is among a record number of people leaving the country.
New Zealand has had a constant outflow of people to other countries that ebbs and flows for at least 40 years. I left during a previous surge. Home prices are too high, wages are too low, and better opportunities can be found abroad. When other economies start slowing down, a lot of people return to NZ.
Wealth and quality of life are hugely dependent upon the politics of a place.
Which form of politics is correct is a debate that has existed since forever, but there’s no getting away from the fact that politics determines wealth, quality of life, and ultimately whether people wish to immigrate, emigrate, or stay put.
It really isn’t politics. New Zealand is very isolated from other countries, so the price of imported goods are high. It is also a small nation that is primarily farms, so there isn’t much room for development and home prices are high. It has a small steel industry but otherwise there isn’t a lot of manufacturing unless it is related to dairy.
If that’s the case why is it record numbers now?
Australia has had mineral wealth for a very long time, that’s nothing new.
Because the NZ economy is particularly bad right now, and our housing market is effed.
“our housing market is effed” I have some bad news for kiwis coming over here…
Many Kiwis came home from other countries during COVID and this bump in people leaving is partly just returning to normal.
New Zealand has had a constant outflow of people to other countries that ebbs and flows for at least 40 years. I left during a previous surge. Home prices are too high, wages are too low, and better opportunities can be found abroad. When other economies start slowing down, a lot of people return to NZ.
That’s fair, but that’s due to politics.
Wealth and quality of life are hugely dependent upon the politics of a place.
Which form of politics is correct is a debate that has existed since forever, but there’s no getting away from the fact that politics determines wealth, quality of life, and ultimately whether people wish to immigrate, emigrate, or stay put.
Well, that and the weather 😝
It really isn’t politics. New Zealand is very isolated from other countries, so the price of imported goods are high. It is also a small nation that is primarily farms, so there isn’t much room for development and home prices are high. It has a small steel industry but otherwise there isn’t a lot of manufacturing unless it is related to dairy.