By Katerina Hatzi

Young Victorians from multicultural backgrounds face challenges when it comes to finding a job, according to a new Victorian Government report.

The report, released in December 2024, combines data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2021 Census (171,919 individuals), along with data from the Victorian Social Investment Integrated Data Resource (VSIIDR, 125,820 individuals), examining people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five born in non-English speaking countries.

The ’Client Pathways’ report shows that young multicultural Victorians frequently live in more disadvantaged metropolitan areas (such as Melbourne, Casey, Wyndham and others), which has a direct impact on their chances for employment.

At the same time, Census data revealed that young multicultural Victorians were more likely to be studying and have “higher levels of educational attainment” than their non-multicultural peers.

Specifically, by the age of 25, multicultural Victorians were “more likely to have bachelor and postgraduate level qualifications”, and non-multicultural Victorians were more likely to have “secondary and certificate level education.”

It is also revealed in the report that disadvantages associated with being unemployed include “poor mental health” and “increased prevalence of alcohol and substance use disorders.”

The report states that studies have shown that “unemployment can lead to mental health disorders”, and that “mental health disorders can lead to unemployment.”

In the 2021 Census, 14,640 young multicultural Victorians reported being unemployed.

The area with the highest unemployment rate amongst young multicultural Victorians was Hume with a 13.0 per cent unemployment rate.

The Victorian Government report does admit that there are potential limitations to the data gathered due to various factors, the findings are worth considering.

While it is true that the job market has become very competitive, and companies do not want to take risks by hiring candidates who they deem as not yet ready for the job, when will young multicultural Victorians be given the chance to showcase their skills?

As shown in the report, young multicultural Victorians are well educated, holding more than one degree, equipping them with the knowledge they need to take on a job in their field of study.

Many companies, though, continuously advertise roles that are almost at a senior level as entry level, or request that candidates hold three to five years of experience for entry level roles.

Such demands are unfair to both those who are looking for their first opportunity, as well as to those who have years of experience.

As a young Victorian of multicultural background, I am currently in this position, alongside thousands of other young people my age.

What I can say for sure is that young multicultural Victorians have a lot to offer.

They are only asking for a chance to do so.

Read the full report here: Client-Pathways-Young-multicultural-Victorians-at-risk-of-unemployment.docx