Last week, I published an article titled “Why New Zealand migration to Australia will fall”, arguing that New Zealand’s improving labour market would lead to fewer Kiwis migrating to Australia. AdvertisementIt appears that my reasoning was premature, with Stats NZ’s labour force data for the June quarter revealing a 0.2% rise in New Zealand’s unemployment rate to 5.6% – the highest reading for the nation since December 2012. AdvertisementMoreover, around 8,000 more people were experiencing long-term unemployment in the June 2026 quarter than in the same quarter in 2025, according to Stats NZ. Finally, wage growth was also weak and below the CPI inflation rate. Young Kiwis in particular, who are suffering the most from rising unemployment, are likely to continue arriving in Australia in large numbers in search of greater employment opportunities.