EMPLOYMENT


OVERVIEW

Migrants who had obtained Australian citizenship since arrival were more likely to be employed (73%) than other recent migrants (64%) or temporary residents (63%). Of those who were employed, 75% of recent migrants with a permanent visa and 77% of those with Australian citizenship were employed full time compared with 57% of temporary residents. In all cases males were more likely to be employed full time than females: 90% of male migrants with Australian citizenship were employed full time compared with 63% of females; 83% of males on a permanent visa were employed full time compared with 64% of females; and 62% of male temporary residents were employed full time compared with 50% of females. Temporary residents on student visas were less likely to be employed than other temporary residents (55% compared with 73%) (Table 2).


UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

The unemployment rate for recent migrants and temporary residents combined was 7%, compared with 5% for people born in Australia. Migrants with Australian citizenship had an unemployment rate of 7%. Temporary residents had a lower unemployment rate (5%) than recent migrants on a permanent visa (9%) (Table 2).

The unemployment rate for migrants born in main English-speaking countries was lower than for migrants born in other countries (5% compared with 8%). Also, migrants who had obtained a non-school qualification before arrival had a lower unemployment rate than those who had not (6% and 10% respectively) (Table 3).


LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE

Migrants who had obtained Australian citizenship since arrival had a higher labour force participation rate (79%) than other recent migrants (71%) and temporary residents (66%). In all cases, males had a higher labour force participation rate than females: 88% for male migrants with Australian citizenship compared with 70% for females; 88% for males on a permanent visa compared with 57% for females; and 74% for male temporary residents compared with 58% of females. For males and females born in Australia, the participation rate was 75% and 63% respectively (Table 2).

Labour force participation rates were higher for recent migrants and temporary residents born in main English-speaking countries (84%) than other countries (67%) and higher for those who had obtained a non-school qualification before arrival than for those who had not (78% and 59% respectively) (Table 3).


FINDING EMPLOYMENT

Some 10% of recent migrants who have had a job in Australia arrived with their first job already arranged while 43% spent three months or less looking for their first job (Table 15).

An estimated 44% of recent migrants who have had a job since arrival received some form of help finding their first job. Of these people:

• 68% received help from family or friends;
• 25% from Centrelink or a Job Network agency;
• 7% from an educational institution;
• 6% from a migrant association or refugee settlement organisation;
• 3% from a church or community group (Table 14).

About one third (35%) of recent migrants reported experiencing some difficulty finding their first job in Australia. Of the migrants who experienced difficulty:

• 64% reported a lack of Australian work experience or references;
• 33% experienced language difficulties;
• 23% reported a lack of local contacts or networks;
• 15% said there were no jobs in their locality, line of work or at all;
• 15% had difficulty with their skills or qualifications not being recognised;
• 8% said they did not know how or where to apply for jobs;
• 7% had restrictions due to their visa type;
• 7% had difficulties with transport or had no driver's licence (Table 14).

SKILLED MIGRANTS

An estimated 90% of migrants with a skilled visa at November 2010 who were the main applicant were in the labour force and 87% were currently employed. Of those who nominated an occupation for their current visa, 53% were currently employed in the same occupation group as the one they nominated (Table 17).

Some 88% of skilled migrants had obtained a non-school qualification before arrival and 61% of them had used their qualification in their current job. Of those who had not used their qualifications, 38% had tried to find work more suited to their qualifications (Table 17).