The number of people coming into Australia looking for work from neighbouring New Zealand is at a record high, as labor migrants look for better work conditions and pay in the country, in the same week as Australia has posted positive movement in the number of jobs posted in January.

According to Statistics New Zealand, the number of people heading across the water and into its near neighbours' country to find employment was at an 11-year high in 2011, with 45,863 heading permanently to Australia throughout the year.

Further good news could come for Australian employers looking for a skilled workforce to choose from as well, as the New Zealand Labor Department said that number could even grow in 2012.

In December, a Randstad Workmonitor found that many New Zealanders are disgruntled at work, with 50 per cent expecting a pay rise in the next six months, and 54 per cent saying they would consider working abroad for better wages.

Posted by Fiona Summers