More workers consider leaving NZ for more pay

The grass could be greener on the other side after all, as thousands of Kiwis look to move overseas for better pay.

Accountancy service MYOB’s latest Consumer Snapshot, a nationwide poll of more than 500 people, found 4% of those polled had decided to move overseas to live and work now that borders were reopening.

An additional 20% of those surveyed said they were actively considering moving overseas.

According to Stats NZ, just under 41,000 Kiwis left New Zealand to go overseas for at least 12 months in 2019, before Covid-19 made travel much harder.

One mechanical engineer, who wished to stay anonymous because he had not resigned yet, said he was moving to the UK for two years, then planned to move to Australia.

‘‘I don’t get paid too badly here. ‘‘But over there, there is much more opportunity to learn and grow in your career.

‘‘You can hit the ceiling in New Zealand pretty quickly and the only way up is to take your boss’ job.’’

As an engineer in Australia, he predicted he could get up to 50% more money for a similar role.

Half of those looking to move abroad believed they could get a better salary overseas, while 44% considered moving overseas because the quality of life or cost of living was better.

About a third (34%) said they wanted to experience living and working in another country, and 21% said they were looking into moving overseas because New Zealand did not offer them the lifestyle they were after.

Those considering a move overseas for a bump in their salary believed they could earn an average of about $23,000 more working in a role abroad, compared with the same role in New Zealand.

Salary comparison data from recruitment company Robert Walters showed the salary perceptions around pay increases overseas were not entirely off the mark.

A financial accountant with up to four years of experience could earn between $75,000 and $110,000 in New Zealand, $99,000-$126,000 in Australia or $106,000-$135,000 in the UK.

For a supply chain manager with six to 10 years of experience, they could earn $110,000 to $150,000 in New Zealand, $143,000 to $181,000 in Australia and $143,000 to $170,000 in the UK.

A banking compliance manager with more than five years of experience could earn $120,000 to $200,000 in New Zealand, $170,000 to $253,000 in Australia, and $106,000 to $135,000 in the UK.

While there were a number of companies and international markets targeting New Zealanders with job offers and packages, Australia looked to be the largest beneficiary from New Zealanders looking for new opportunities overseas.

Nearly three in five (58%) New Zealanders who had looked into travelling overseas to live and work had thought about moving to

Australia, while 8% said the UK, 7% said the US, and 6% had thought about moving to Europe.

MYOB head of employee services Felicity Brown said that the number of New Zealanders who had decided to move overseas far outstripped pre-Covid-19 migration levels.

‘‘This has the makings of a real crisis in the local jobs sector, with the lack of available employees making it even more challenging for many businesses to operate or expand to meet local demand,’’ she said.

Worker shortages were already hitting home across the board – from tourism, hospitality, construction and trades to healthcare and the tech sector – so a large movement of Kiwis overseas was going to be felt throughout the economy, she said.

‘‘For many local small to medium enterprises, it is impossible to compete in an international market where businesses overseas may be able to offer potential employees more money for similar roles, and we have been hearing concerns around this very scenario from SMEs predicting this outcome over the past 12 months.’’

‘‘This has the makings of a real crisis.’’ Felicity Brown MYOB