The number of people leaving Tauranga has plunged to the lowest rate in nearly 20 years with more Kiwis finding the right job on home soil and the Bay lifestyle bringing locals home from Australia.
Between January and September 1997 1011 New Zealand citizens left Tauranga and another 293 left the Western Bay district. Departures peaked in 2012 when 1898 people left Tauranga during the same nine-month period and 554 left the Western Bay.
This year the departure figures dropped to 1088 in Tauranga and 348 for the Western Bay.
The city also welcomed the highest number of arrivals in at least 20 years with 961 in Tauranga and 348 in the Western Bay. This compares with 579 arrivals to Tauranga in 1994 and 141 for the Western Bay. 1st Call Recruitment general manager Angela Singleton said there had almost been a total reverse from the recession with Aucklanders moving to the Bay and Kiwis returning from Australia.
"There's been a total decline in people wanting to go to Australia and other global locations," she said. "It's much more attractive for them to stay here."
She had also noticed a "huge increase" in the number of Australians applying for work in New Zealand.
While candidates could be paid double what they earned in Tauranga for the same job in Australia they were seeking work-life balance, including less time spent commuting to and from work.
The minimum wage had gone up in New Zealand and Tauranga was starting to shake the "$10 Tauranga" title it had held for years.
"Employers have changed their attitudes, investing a little bit of money now to have guaranteed skilled staff for a couple of extra dollars an hour," she said.
"Pay rates have improved, people have realised that they actually want a work-life balance and there are quite a few mid-level and senior roles. [They have been] on the increase for some time."
The December quarter was the busiest for recruitment agencies with employers wanting to set themselves up with the right staff for the new year and employees seeking a fresh start.
January and February were also traditionally busy with holiday-makers who had come from other cities or home from overseas for Christmas and decided they wanted to find a job and stay on.
Managing director of Personnel/Temp Resources Ian Chitty had noticed an influx of people coming into the region and far fewer heading to Australia.
"Generally speaking there's a slowing down in Australia as far as work being available ... We're seeing people coming back from Australia and we're seeing people moving from other parts of New Zealand," Mr Chitty said.
The cheaper property prices, in comparison to Auckland, and proximity to Hamilton, Auckland and Rotorua were attracting a lot of Aucklanders to the region, to live by the sea.
"Our cost structure is now comparable," he said.
The number of mid-level management roles in Tauranga was increasing and breadth of careers widening, he said.
The city's growth also meant more families were able to get two good incomes out of the Tauranga community.
The building of a university in Tauranga would see more construction work available as well as positions for academic staff.
Earthquake-proofing work in the central city was providing construction roles and preparing the city for future growth, he said.
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dave Burnett said the decline in the iron ore markets in Australia was keeping Kiwis on home soil.
The establishment of large industry in Tauranga, including the Brother International headquarters (which created more than 40 jobs and shifted 35 families to the region) and Jenkins Freshpac Systems (which created 23 jobs new jobs and relocated 13 employees from Auckland) were boosting the local job market.
"There's a lot more opportunity for people to be employed in the Bay," Mr Burnett told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend.
The infrastructure, including schooling, and housing that was much more affordable than Auckland was also luring people to the Western Bay, he said.
Priority One projects manager Annie Hill said the figures reflected national trends in migration.
"Long-term permanent migration increased through the recession [2008-12], particularly when the Australian economy was one of the few that was growing during that time. However, now it is decreasing, largely due to the shrinking Australian economy on the back of the slowdown in China [minerals markets, and the growing New Zealand economy on the back of dairy, beef lamb and horticulture."
Australia's unemployment was also on the rise while rates were dropping in New Zealand, Ms Hill said.