Kellie Hamlett: Talent ID Director on the record number of people moving overseas and the skilled workers lost

A recruitment specialist says we've likely lost a number of our already small pool of skilled workers.  

More than 130,000 people moved out of the country in the year to April, the highest on record according to Stats NZ figures. 

A record 81,200 New Zealand citizens made up the majority of the leavers. 

Talent ID Director Kellie Hamlett told Mike Hosking that these departures won't be helping our skills issue.  

She says it comes down to the fact there's more demand for skills than we have skill to fill. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh. I don't know about you, but it's getting embarrassing,
isn't it. Another record's been set by Key Wee scarpering
off shore in April. More than eighty one thousand took off.
That led to a net loss of fifty six thousand
and five one hundred. That tops the previous record, which
was in March of fifty two thousand. So is this
leaving holes in our job market? Tellent ID director Kelly
Handlet's with.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Us morning, Good morning to Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Now, there was a survey yesterday. Obviously we got the
number of keys leaving the country, but there was another
survey yesterday that said twenty five percent of employers say
it's worse than last year. As far as labor issues concerned.
Do you reckon with all the people leaving the country
that's real?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well, I think it's definitely not helping, Mike. I mean,
I think we haven't seen the labor market loosen up
a little bit most recently this year. It's definitely more
balanced towards the employer. However, I think that's a real
band aid on what really is going on. We've got
massive skill shortages in this country, and you know, with
the recent restructuring or shaping happening. It's loosened a little,

(00:55):
but it's not really addressing the real issue.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
So what's the problem though, Because it's not like we
haven't got people coming into the country. There's lots of
them coming in. Are they just mismatched?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, I think that's I think that probably is the case.
You know, immigration has been a bit of a mess
for a while now. You almost need a master's degree
to decipher the constant came changes that are coming through
a week to be basis. So I just wonder if
we're not really sort of you know, we've got skilled
immigrants coming in. However, maybe immigration policies aren't targeted enough

(01:27):
towards the areas that are employers are desperately needing help them.
But it's not even it's not even the skilled areas
that where it is those areas, but it even filters
down to some of them are basic roles, really generic
skill sets.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Even does no one want to work anymore?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Is that?

Speaker 1 (01:44):
But when you get to generic does no one want
to work? It doesn't matter where they come from in
the world. Kiwis can't get out of bed, and they're
leaving the country anyway, and those who come into the
country don't want to do the job. Are there just
some jobs people will not do?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Oh? Look, I think there's some obviously that are more
attractive than others. But no, I don't. I don't necessarily
think that's the case. I think, you know, post COVID,
we were we were in a real sort of dire
sort of space in terms of businesses were growing. We
just didn't have enough people literally to fill the jobs.

(02:16):
And I think it just is, you know, it just
comes down to there's there's more demand than you know,
sort of skill to fill fill these roles.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Do you worry about young people leaving New Zealand? New
Zealand is leaving New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, I think, you know, I've sort of been pondering that.
You know, years ago we had people would go overseas
on their oe and now it seems that they're leaving
to the greener pastures of Australia. So, you know, and
I think it definitely is that that time of people's
career where they're really earning good money and they really

(02:49):
could be adding to our economy, but sadly we're losing
them to you know, the likes of Australia in droves,
it seems, does.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
It does indeed seem that way. Kelly appreciate it. Kelly Handler,
who's the talent ID directed with us this morning. For
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