Accountancy firm Grant Thornton has recently conducted a worldwide employment survey and concluded the New Zealand’s economy could be hit hard by the country’s crippling workforce numbers.

Grant Thornton spokesman Peter Sherwin commented: “The disturbing factor is that it continues to climb as a worry for New Zealand firms. In the latest survey, 61 per cent of the New Zealand businesses surveyed said it was a major concern - last year the figure was 60 per cent and the year before that it was 38 per cent.”

However, New Zealand was not the only country facing potential economic problems as a result of its labour crisis. 58 per cent of Australian businesses are said to have expressed concern over the country lack of skilled workers, compared to a global average of 37 per cent.

Both countries are aggressively attempting to recruit skilled labour through immigration.

Mr. Sherwin added: "It seems that while there has been a lot of focus on the drain of New Zealand skills to Australia, our trans-Tasman neighbours have an almost equal issue with lack of workers.