Cook Island business owners are struggling to convince workers from overseas to stay, as New Zealand recruitment agencies poach them.
Speaking with AM on Tuesday morning, Rarotongan business owner Ellena Tavioni said she can't compete with New Zealand as everyone wants to work there.
"Everyone in the whole world dreams of New Zealand, everyone wants to live in New Zealand, everyone knows that.
"We can't compete with that."
Tavioni who owns a clothing manufacturing company said she has hired 18 workers from overseas and ten have left already to work in New Zealand.
The Rarotongan business owner went to the Philippines to try and recruit workers and get them to move to Rarotonga.
"We had to fly to the Philippines and interview some skilled workers, sewers and tailors to move to the Cook Islands."
Tavioni said it takes at least a couple of months to sort the paperwork out in the Philippines and another month to sort it out back home in Rarotonga.
"It's a long process," she told AM.
The cost of one worker also takes a toll on businesses in Rarotonga.
Tavioni told AM, "It's at least six thousand, at least to bring one in."
She said when the workers, realised there could be an opportunity to work in New Zealand, they snatched it up.
"When this opportunity came up they couldn't resist it.
"It didn't matter what I paid them."
Reports show, that around 700 vacancies for work in Rarotonga have popped up because of workers moving to New Zealand.
