The question was "The average New Zealand citizen would be better off if a larger number of low-skilled foreign workers were legally allowed to enter New Zealand each year."
It wasn't a question about higher incomes. What would be the effect on housing?
That's a good question. When population increases so does the demand for housing. The problem is that in New Zealand we don't seem to be very good at responding to high levels of immigration by building houses. The Infrastructure Commission has estimated that New Zealand now builds one-quarter to one-third fewer homes than the middle years of the last century!
A further consideration is that housing demand depends on population, but immigration policy is only one factor that, over time, determines population. Other factors include NZ citizens moving overseas & returning from overseas, Australians and other legal residents moving to or leaving NZ, and births & deaths within NZ. The relative importance of these factors has changed over time. [Comment revised 10-Aug-22.]
The question was "The average New Zealand citizen would be better off if a larger number of low-skilled foreign workers were legally allowed to enter New Zealand each year."
It wasn't a question about higher incomes. What would be the effect on housing?
That's a good question. When population increases so does the demand for housing. The problem is that in New Zealand we don't seem to be very good at responding to high levels of immigration by building houses. The Infrastructure Commission has estimated that New Zealand now builds one-quarter to one-third fewer homes than the middle years of the last century!
A further consideration is that housing demand depends on population, but immigration policy is only one factor that, over time, determines population. Other factors include NZ citizens moving overseas & returning from overseas, Australians and other legal residents moving to or leaving NZ, and births & deaths within NZ. The relative importance of these factors has changed over time. [Comment revised 10-Aug-22.]
https://www.productivity.govt.nz/assets/Inquiries/immigration-settings/Immigration-by-the-numbers.pdf
Enjoy!
The results don't surprise me so much: thankfully, "has a higher income" is not synonymous with "is better off" for most people, economists included.