New Zealand and Australia are close friends. Citizens of one country can work without major restrictions in the other country. The visa schemes are in fact so loose than Kiwis view Australia as an extension of their lovely Aotearoa and think of us as their West Island.

Highly scientific map from a random online meme.

Can we predict when Kiwis move west? We can’t predict when and why people might move for personal reasons, but economic migration patterns are clear and predictable.

We must simply compare differences in economic conditions between the two countries. In short, if things look up in Australia while things look down in New Zealand, we welcome more Kiwis to Australia.

Let’s start with the most important economic indicator. When Australia records a lower unemployment rate than New Zealand, more Kiwis than usual pack their bags and fly to the West Island in search of work.

Closely linked to the unemployment rate are economic indicators such as wages, economic growth, and cost of living.........

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