Question about races

I think I stopped playing right around the time they introduced merits; I guess that would have a big impact on racial balance. I remember, though, that being a Galka in particular made it incredibly expensive to be an effective caster class. WHM as a Galka, for example, was nearly impossible without a couple of astral rings and the best hp -> mp gear + mp regen food that gil could buy. Even then, groups could be hard to find because of the associated skepticism with that race/class combo. Taking up my old Galka could save me a ton of time with the jobs he already has leveled up and missions/quests already accomplished, but I don't think I will if racial balance is still the same, as I anticipate wanting to level up some of the caster classes.