Record job vacancies continue to attract an increasing number of people to Newcastle from Sydney, despite the end of COVID lockdowns.
Figures from the Regional Australia Institute's quarterly Regional Movers Index show the rapid rise in migrants from all capital cities to Newcastle during the first 18 months of the pandemic has not slowed in the past year.
Capital city migration to Newcastle local government area increased 1 per cent in the 12 months to September 30 at a time when other large regional areas experienced declining growth in such population movements.
Migration from capital cities to Newcastle grew a hefty 10 per cent over the year to September 2021 during the height of lockdowns.
The latest figures show that demand has not fallen in the ensuing 12 months.
By comparison, capitals migration fell 1 per cent on the Gold Coast in the year, 15 per cent in Geelong and 8 per cent in Wollongong.
The figures, based on Commonwealth Bank customer data, show Sunshine Coast was the only other LGA among the top five to increase its flow of capital-city migrants in the past year.
Newcastle also had the most growth in capital city migration among the top five LGAs from the June to September quarters, up 7 per cent, compared with 5 per cent on the Gold Coast, 6 per cent in Geelong and Wollongong and negative 1 per cent on the Sunshine Coast.
The RAI's report shows the increasing popularity of Newcastle as a destination for capital city dwellers has been fuelled by record job vacancies. It says the number of job vacancies in the Hunter has skyrocketed 43 per cent in the past year to a monthly average of 7111.
The other top-five regional migration hot spots also experienced rapid rises in job vacancies, though Geelong (50 per cent) was the only one to increase faster than Newcastle.
Commonwealth Bank regional and agribusiness executive Paul Fowler said record demand for workers remained one of the most significant "pull factors" behind the continuing population flow to regions.
"Many regional areas are experiencing strong economic growth, creating employment opportunities for people looking to make the move," he said.
Quarterly migration flows to regional areas have averaged about 15 per cent higher in the past 12 months compared with the two years prior to the pandemic.
Lake Macquarie and Newcastle again were fifth and sixth on the list of Australian LGAs attracting the most new residents from capitals in the September quarter.
In other Lower Hunter LGAs, the rate of capital city migration fell 2 per cent over the year in Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Port Stephens and remain unchanged in Maitland.
The mining areas of Singleton (16 per cent) and Muswellbrook (19 per cent) attracted more capital city dwellers, but such population moves to Upper Hunter fell 19 per cent.
