20 April 2021
Download [1.5 MB PDF]This report looks at the evidence of the effects of migration policy on New Zealand’s top "frontier" firms.
The report outlines the evidence on the impacts of seasonal, temporary migrant workers, and examines the short- and long-run impacts of low-cost/low-skill temporary migrant labour on the New Zealand economy.
NZIER reviewed literature from New Zealand and other developed countries, with a particular focus on the horticulture sector. The literature holds few ‘rules of thumb’ when it comes to the impacts of immigration.
Convenient conclusions from overseas literature should be viewed with caution, rather than lifted and applied wholesale to New Zealand. Context matters when it comes to migration.
Temporary immigration can provide net benefits to migrants and their host communities, provided policy is developed having regard to local conditions and kept under ongoing review.
The Productivity Commission commissioned NZIER to produce this report. It is one of a number of research inputs into the Commission's inquiry into the economic contribution of New Zealand’s frontier firms.
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Picking cherries - Evidence on the effects of temporary and seasonal migrants on the New Zealand economy
Our research aims to understand New Zealand's productivity performance and the role of policy in lifting productivity.
Explore our publications below, hear us present at an event or contact us with your productivity questions.
The goal of our research is to facilitate a move from an economy that grows by using more “inputs” (such as labour or natural resources), to one where productivity plays a greater role in driving economic growth – essentially, working smarter, with greater financial and knowledge capital employed per worker.
Our research explores a wide range of productivity issues: employment, firm dynamics, technology diffusion, innovation, regional development, spatial and public-sector productivity.
The commissioning of research and the practice of collaboration with others is important to us. It enables us to access subject/sector specialists and benefit from the cross-promotion of ideas and insights. You will find research from the Commission, as well as research we commissioned, below.
Our Economics & Research team is independently evaluated every two years to understand how to improve and enhance our impact. See the latest evaluation report and 2020 survey results here.
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