Compelling news from the refugee and migrant sector
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Latest CALD jobless rates

28 May 20140 comments

shutterstock_193025789-resizedVietnamese, Lebanese and Chinese are the migrant groups most likely to be out of work, according to new Employment Department data.

Vietnamese and Lebanese newcomers to Australia have the highest unemployment rate at just less than 9 per cent. Chinese migrants are jobless at a rate of a little more than 6 per cent, the data shows.

Indian-born job seekers – the biggest group of new migrants to Australia, making up a fifth of arrivals last financial year – share a similar rate of unemployment to Australian-born workers at 5.8 per cent.

But English and Irish migrants are more likely to have a job than Australian-born workers, as employers push to recruit more migrant labour.

The data reveals that 3.9 per cent of ­migrants from English-speaking countries are unemployed — considerably less than the 5.8 per cent for Australians, averaged over the 12 months to February.

The lowest unemployment rate is among Dutch migrants at 3.6 per cent.

The federal government is holding a review of its 457 visa arrangements, which currently allow employers to sponsor skilled migrants to work in Australia for up to four years if they cannot find staff locally. Several industry sectors are predicting significant labour shortages in the coming years.

The National Tourism Alliance has told the review that hospitality and tourism businesses will see a shortfall of 56,000 staff next year because of an inability to find suitable staff at local level.

Tourism also want to see English language requirements watered down and the minimum wage for 457 visa holders reduced from its current $53,900. An average Australian cook earns just $48,000 a year.

The Immigrations Department granted a record 68,480 457 visas last financial year.

Employment increased by 14,200 over the month to 11,572,900, a record high. Full-time employment increased by 14,200 to 8,045,100 and part-time employment was unchanged at 3,527,800.

The participation rate was 64.7 per cent in April compared with 64.8 per cent in the previous month.