UK ranks second in skilled migrants to NZ

The UK is the second-ranking country among those which supply skilled migrants to New Zealand, government figures reveal.

According to the New Zealand Immigration Service, in the skilled migrant category, British residents made up 17 per cent of those who were successful in their applications, second only to China.

Overall, a total of 724 applications, which represent 1,625 people, were chosen by authorities. Of these, 596 applicants already had job offers.

Meanwhile, separate research by the Waikato University School of Management indicated that New Zealand has been experiencing a shortage of workers in a variety of sectors - particularly among independent directors.

Associate professor Jens Mueller, author of the study, said that the country's firms have been placing "more emphasis on track record, work experience and global business experience" regarding recruitment.

There were 6,360 advertised job vacancies in New Zealand in July, the same as 2006, according to data from the Department of Labour.