In the year to April, more than 30,000 non-New Zealand citizens who had been here on a permanent or long-term basis left this country - up 23 per cent on the year before, according to Statistics NZ.
As a result, annual net migration is down 4800 from a high point a year ago.
Most were temporary migrants who arrived on student and work visas, experts believe.
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Spoonley said there were many "frustrated immigrant job seekers" who were giving up on New Zealand.
He said there remained a reluctance among small to medium enterprise owners to consider any applicant who did not have local experience.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said this was a "flow-on effect" of the high migration that occurred under the previous Government.
"What we're seeing here is a significant cohort of temporary migrants and those on student visas with post-study work rights leaving the country as their visas expire," Lees-Galloway said.
"I don't accept that immigration should necessarily fill shortages in industries like hospitality and retail when the underemployment rate remains high at around 12 per cent, meaning there are plenty of New Zealand workers looking for more work."
Lees-Galloway said the Government remained committed to making sure the immigration system works for New Zealand.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12057851[Posted at the SpookyWeather blog, May 29th, 2018.]
