Chris Hipkins is a completely misleading NZ. All his posts talking about Kiwis leaving New Zealand and it nothing compared to what they were during his time at the helm. The job market right now is stuffed because Hipkins let in over 400,000 unskilled migrants which are now stuck in our country.
What actually happened, based on official data…
• Post-COVID reopening (2022–2024):
• Around 400,000 people arrived to live or work long-term.
• About 220,000 people left New Zealand, many of them citizens.
• Net gain: roughly +180,000, the largest migration surge on record.
• This followed policy changes that eased visa criteria to fill labour shortages in health, construction, hospitality, and agriculture.
• After the 2023 election and into 2025:
• The current coalition government tightened visa categories and reintroduced skill thresholds.
• Annual inflows dropped to around 145,000–160,000, and citizen departures have been about 120,000–130,000 — much lower overall movement.
• The net gain fell to roughly +25,000 by mid-2025.
How to interpret it…
• The Labour government’s approach prioritised labour supply to help the post-pandemic economy recover, which led to record migration numbers.
• The current government has focused on reducing low-skill migration, which has sharply lowered both arrivals and total migration turnover.
• The debate over whether that earlier intake was “low-skilled” or “essential” depends on how you view sectors like healthcare support, hospitality, and trades — areas that were struggling to fill jobs.
Credibility has long left Chris Hipkins. We suggest you stick to sausage rolls.
