Unemployment is higher amongst migrants.
A new report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that a higher proportion of migrants are unemployed after emigrating to Australia, compared to the nation as a whole.
Data taken from the last census show that 5.2% of the population of Australia are currently unemployed compared with 7.3% of skilled migrants that have emigrated to Oz. However those migrants who have found work tend to be in professional roles.
Critics of the government’s migration program say that this data points to the fact that the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship is not working. Dimitria Groutsis, a migration expert from Sydney University told the Sydney Herald that: “We are not fully utilising the skills and vocational experience offered by people living overseas.”
“There needs to be better … information for individuals when applying in their home country for emigration to Australia about what the expectations are.”
However the data was taken before the DIAC implemented new changes to the Australian immigration program that has tightened rules and shortened the Skilled Occupation List. It is now harder to emigrate to Australia without a job offer or sponsorship and if the Liberal Coalition get into power then migrants may find an already strict policy getting even tougher as the government aim to reduce migrant numbers entering Australia.
The ‘secondary applicant’ also came in for criticism. This is the partner or spouse of the primary applicant who follow them into Australia. Just 32% of these partners are employed full-time. However, again the report doesn’t take into account mothers who stay at home to look after the children, or voluntary workers. Many may also have part-time jobs that are not included in the ABS report.
As figures for migrants applying for Australian visas is down, the next ABS report may read very differently.
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