SA lost 25,000 people to other states, gained 53,000 through immigration over past five years

SOUTH Australia lost more than 25,000 people to other states in five years — but gained 53,000 new residents from overseas, a report reveals.

SOUTH Australia lost more than 25,000 people to other states in five years — but gained 53,000 new residents from overseas, a new report reveals.

The brain drain resulted in mostly professional young people moving interstate for work, prompting the report authors to pinpoint a “relative lack of good quality jobs” as the state’s downfall.

Adelaide University’s South Australian Centre for Economic Studies today releases its latest Economic Briefing Report.

It forecasts the state’s unemployment rate will remain steady at around 5.6 per cent over the next three years, but that slower population growth will “prevent the state economy from expanding as fast as the national economy”.

In the five years to September 2016, 114,000 people migrated to SA from elsewhere in Australia — but 139,000 residents moved interstate during the same period.

People moving interstate were “more likely to be employed in their destination” than those moving to SA from elsewhere.

More of those leaving the state had undergraduate- or postgraduate-degree-level qualifications than those arriving in SA.

The most popular destination for people leaving was Victoria (13,100), followed by Queensland (7600) and NSW (3200), while 2200 Northern Territorians shifted south to SA.

The state fares far better in attracting people from overseas — gaining 115,000 new residents over the five years while losing 62,000 to other countries.

“The state enjoys a ‘brain gain’ through overseas migration as overseas migrants are better educated than both interstate migrants and local residents,” the report finds.

However, many still struggle to find employment. The unemployment rate among international arrivals is about 18 per cent.

The report concludes that “a relative lack of job opportunities … (and) the quality of job opportunities” are at the heart of net population losses from SA.