Australian data profiling the New Zealand migrant population shows a concentration in blue-collar occupations, reflecting traditional demand from the mining, construction and agricultural sectors.
But the picture is changing - the recent outflow is across the spectrum of occupations and includes many finance sector professionals and managers.
AdelaideUniversity Professor of Geography Graeme Hugo says when you adjust for age, the characteristics of New Zealand migrants closely match the Australian population. "There's the same sort of breakdown of occupations, education and gender, whereas migrants coming from other countries are more highly skilled [because they have to meet entry criteria]."
In the year to September 2007, 28 per cent of New Zealanders working in Australia were categorised as highly skilled, 26 per cent as skilled and 46 per cent as semi-skilled or elementary workers. For New Zealanders departing long-term to other countries, 50 per cent were highly skilled, 23 per cent skilled and 26 per cent semi skilled or elementary.
A significant proportion of New Zealanders in Australia are Maori - in the 2006 Australian census identified 92,912 people of Maori descent - which is 24 per cent of the NZ-born population living in Australia. In New Zealand, 17.7 per cent of the population is of Maori descent.
The median age of New Zealanders leaving for Australia was 26.3 years. But Waikato University demographer Richard Bedford says there are clusters of transtasman migrants: young people, such as junior doctors, go for work experience and to work in a new environment; a second group aged in their 30s and 40s, sometimes going for promotion and taking children with them, with a third cluster going in retirement. In the year ended June 2008, 39 per cent of departing migrants were not in the workforce - either children, students, retired or family members.
