Australia Seeks More Skilled Foreign Workers

The Australian Industry Group (AIG), which is a vocal business lobby always willing to air its views on major national issues, has suggested that increasing the annual quota by 15% for the upcoming fiscal year. This would mean Australia would have to allow 220,000 skilled foreign workers in the 2014-15 fiscal year. This is an increase from last year’s 190,000.

According to Reuters, labour is accusing retail companies such as Tesco of employing cheap immigrant workers, pushing skilled workers out of a job. As a result, Australia may be shutting its doors to economic asylum seekers, however, the country should continue to accept skilled migrant workers to improve the overall national economy. As more Australians become seniors and the natural growth rate slows, the job pool will slowly decline.

Over 9% of all Australian workers are currently age 60 or older, while 17% are aged from 55 to 59. The country continues to suffer from persistent skill shortages in a growing number of key sectors such as mining, engineering, infrastructure and health. With the aging population, these shortages will only increase.