Career in Australian Migrants Literature Review

Australian Migrant Workers: Careers and Challenges

A recent survey found that more than 40% of Australians were born abroad or have at least one foreign-born parent. This demographic accounts for a significant proportion of Australia’s migrant workers in need of suitable placement. The labor market that absorbs most immigrants includes government, industry. Through business it disrupts service and manufacturing and self-sufficiency. This paper examines some of the careers and related factors experienced by immigrants from other countries in Australia. Most family immigrants are prime eligible applicants who can contribute to the economic development of the country through work (Hugo, 2014). In accordance with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), migrants enjoy excellent working conditions with their initial earning being less but rise towards the Australian average in only four years (DIAC, 2011). Notably, the outcome presents the labor market as favorable for migrants. However, specific research that would focus particular contribution that migrant makes in the market is hindered by the insufficiency of data to distinguish different visas that migrants apply for (Junankar, and Mahuteau, 2005). Additionally, most of the current studies have focused on primary income earners in migrant families, while putting less emphasis on secondary income earners (Wilkins, 2013). This problematic representation would not shed light on the accurate statistics of migrant careers. However, the introduction Continuous Survey of Australia’s Migrants (CSAM) and the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA) became instrumental in the analysis of current occupational positioning of the migrants.

Employment and Occupation Outcomes

Furthermore, recent research through the CSAM and LSIA in 2009 showed that 28% of family stream migrants had secured full-time employment (table 1). Also, 18% had part-time jobs while 19% were unemployed. The research also found out that 35% of the interviewed migrants were not in the laborforce. In industrial placements as indicated in table 1, management positions form the less occupied by the family migrant workforce with only 3% representation. Professional and clerical jobs, including sales and service jobs, are held by the majority of the migrant labor force with 21% and 22% respectively (ABS 2010).

Migrant Workers in Skilled Stream

It is imperative to note that the skilled migrant stream has a more substantial placement in the labor market (Guven and Islam, 2015). Table 1 indicates that 76% of the skilled migrant workers and 27% of their partners were employed on a full-time basis. 15% were part-timers, and only 5% were not employed and out of labor force. Professional positions in the job market are the highly occupied by skilled migrant workers. About 45% of skilled migrants and are employed as professional service providers. About 6% hold managerial positions for both skilled migrants and their partners. Advanced clerical jobs are less occupied, with a representation of only 2% and 3% for skilled workers and their partners. Moreover, Wagnerand Childs (2006) emphasized that other careers such as housing jobs are instrumental among most migrants because they have a significant impact on accommodation of fellow migrants.

Challenges Faced by Migrant Workers

Some of the major challenges faced by migrant workers include racism and gender discrimination in Australia (Hibbins, 2005). Migrant workers come from different races such as Hispanic, African, Asians, among others. The tendency of racial prejudice has been a serious issue in most Australian civil society and government agencies such as the Australian Human Rights Commission. Lu, Samaratunge, and Härtel (2012) elaborated that this effect slows down productivity among the migrant workers since most may work in fear of discrimination and lack of recognition. At the same time, gender issues are dominant, with women being the most vulnerable (Lawrence, 2016). For example, women migrant workers have a lower chance of being hired, they receive less pay and are not considered for high-level jobs due to their many responsibilities such as childcare.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Australia has a high number of migrants who have a significant contribution to the labor market. Migrants are categorized into the streams of family, skilled, and partners of skilled. Most of the skilled migrants work in professional full-time employment. Also, professional, intermediate clerical, sales and service workers are the most occupied positions in the most migrant workforce.

References

Wilkins, R. ed., (2013). A statistical report on waves 1 to 10 of the household, income and labour dynamics in Australia survey.

Hugo, G. (2014). The economic contribution of humanitarian settlers in Australia. International Migration, 52(2), pp.31-52.

Australian Bureau of Statistics ABS (2010). Australian demographic statistics. The Bureau.

Lawrence, R.J., 2016. Professional social work in Australia. ANU Press.

Junankar, P.R. and Mahuteau, S. (2005). Do migrants get good jobs? New migrant settlement in Australia. In Economics of Immigration (pp. 251-272). Palgrave Macmillan UK.

Wagner, R. and Childs, M. (2006). Exclusionary narratives as barriers to the recognition of qualifications, skills and experience—a case of skilled migrants in Australia. Studies in Continuing Education, 28(1), pp.49-62.

Hibbins, R. (2005). Migration and gender identity among Chinese skilled male migrants to Australia. Geoforum, 36(2), pp.167-180.

DIAC, 2011. How New Migrants fare: Analysis of the Continuous Survey of Australia’s Migrants, Accessed 16 December 2017.

Lu, Y., Samaratunge, R. and Härtel, C.E., 2012. The relationship between acculturation strategy and job satisfaction for professional Chinese immigrants in the Australian workplace. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(5), pp.669-681.

Guven, C. and Islam, A. (2015). Age at migration, language proficiency, and socioeconomic outcomes: evidence from Australia. Demography, 52(2), pp.513-542.