New Zealand's Brain Drain Is About Opportunity… or the lack of it.

… there goes another young talented person.

Every week, I hear of another young New Zealander packing their bags for Australia, the UK, or beyond. And honestly, who can blame them? With the cost of living rising and entry-level opportunities thinning out, the promise of better pay and faster career growth overseas is hard to ignore.

I’ve sat on this article for a while because the conversation isn’t black and white. There’s a real tension between investing in local youth, which takes time and cost, and the short-term ease of filling roles with lower-cost migrant labour. But as the numbers of young people leaving continue to rise, I think it’s time to ask: Why are they going? And what are we willing to do about it?

Where Did All the Entry-Level Jobs Go?

30 years ago, entry-level jobs were everywhere — sales assistant, data entry, office support, reception. They taught us how to show up, be accountable, and understand how business works from the ground up.

Today, many of those jobs don’t exist - at least not for young Kiwis:

• They've been outsourced to overseas virtual assistants.

• They’ve been filled by short-term migrants willing to work for lower wages.

• Or they’ve been eliminated altogether

We’re now seeing the consequences:

• 69,100 people left New Zealand in the year to February 2025 — a 3% increase on the previous year. Young adults aged 20–29 remain the largest age group leaving the country (The Guardian, May 2025).

• In the year to April 2024, the net loss of NZ citizens was 56,500, with almost 80,000 citizens—including many youths—leaving the country (EQ Consultants).

• Kiwis aged 18–30 make up almost 40% of all emigrants — and according to The Times, many are not coming back. What was once a rite of passage has become permanent relocation for a growing number.

• The Spectator, News.com.au, and The Week have all echoed the same concern: New Zealand’s youth exodus is no longer a trend — it’s a crisis.

What I’ve Seen Firsthand: The Power of Investing in Youth

In my business, I’ve had the privilege of employing and mentoring my two daughters from a young age — starting them at the bottom, teaching them everything I know about business, and watching them rise.

They’ve handled admin, supported marketing, helped build systems. And now, they’re capable of running their own businesses (at 23 and 17 years old).

It didn’t happen overnight. It took time. Patience. Mistakes. Corrections. Growlings. But the payoff has been outstanding.  

Both of them are now capable business owners. Pitching new clients, living the dream.

We Can’t Blame Young People for Leaving if We’re Not Willing to Train Them

Yes, hiring overseas help might be cheaper in the short term.

Yes, young staff often need more support in the beginning. I get it.

However, if we don’t invest in entry-level jobs and training, we are actively exporting our future.

We have to:

• Rebuild trust in entry-level pathways.

• Accept the learning curve and nurture potential.

• Celebrate the fact that someone’s first job could one day lead them to be a business leader.

Let’s not become the generation that watched our best minds leave. Let’s become the generation that built a future worth staying for.