Facts about migrant employment
If you're having difficulty filling job vacancies in your business, seeking to engage an overseas-trained professional may be an ideal solution. People from migrant and refugee backgrounds can bring not only a range of specialised job skills but also a wealth of life experiences and personal qualities that can make them an excellent addition to your team.
Video: Diversity is a 'no brainer'
'The ability to have people who think different, who look different, who have got different perspectives, come from different backgrounds, different genders, different experiences, allow us to have richer conversations, better problem solving in the workplace and overall better outcomes both for those people in the business and the customers and the communities we're serving.'
– Belinda Watton, Executive General Manager at Yurika, speaking at Reimagining Workforce 2023
Migrant employment in Queensland
Around 80,000 skilled migrants and refugees came to live in Queensland between 2008 and 2018. Research suggests many of these people are not using the qualifications, skills or experience gained before arriving in Australia.
Underutilised skills
49 in every 100 skilled migrants aren't using their skills or experience gained before arriving in Australia.
Workforce skills gap
Approximately 6,240 underutilised migrants and refugees had skills aligning with current skills shortages.
Economic benefits
The Queensland economy could receive a boost of $250 million over 10 years by utilising the skills of migrants.
These figures indicate that there is a high number of skilled workers who are skilled, trained, and ready to take up employment in their chosen industries. So why aren't they already working in a suitable role?
Barriers to employment
People from migrant and refugee backgrounds have traditionally been underemployed in the Australian workforce. Despite having the appropriate skills and willingness to work, they can face barriers in securing a suitable role. These include:
- language and cultural barriers
- logistics – difficulty with transport and childcare
- non-recognition of overseas qualifications
- difficulty navigating recruitment and selection processes
- discrimination and bias, including employer preferences for local experience and networks.
This is why you may find overseas-trained professionals such as engineers, doctors, teachers, project managers or tradespeople working in lower-skilled occupations such as cleaning, taxi driving or food delivery.
However, it may be simpler than you think to overcome these barriers to employment. Specialised support services are available to connect you with job-ready applicants with the right skills and experience.
Benefits of hiring people from migrant and refugee backgrounds
| Benefits for the business | Benefits for the employee |
|---|---|
The business gets to:
| The employee gets to:
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Broader pool of job applicants
A national shortage of skilled workers has prompted employers to explore ways to recruit workers from underrepresented groups – including skilled migrants and refugees – to fill job vacancies. By using more inclusive hiring practices, you can open up a much bigger pool of potential job applicants, increasing your chances of finding the right staff.
Find out more about attracting and recruiting migrant and refugee professionals.
Specialised skills and diverse perspectives
As an employer, you can benefit from the high levels of skill, education and experience that a skilled migrant or refugee brings to their role. Census data shows, on average, people who have migrated from overseas have a higher level of education than people born in Australia.
They may have unique experience in a highly specialised industry that is not widely available in Australia. They may also have international contacts, networks and supply chains that could give your business a global advantage. Their breadth of international experience and cultural perspectives can strengthen and add value to your workplace.
Video: Deen's story
Mohieddin ('Deen') Alasali is from Syria and works as an electrical engineer for SMEC, an engineering consultancy.
'I have no doubt that our organisation is richer and more sensitive as a result of Deen joining us because it brings in that wealth of life experience.'
– Samiul Hossain, State Manager Qld/NT, SMEC
Boost the Australian economy
In 2019, Australia had the highest share of migrants (classed as those born overseas) in the OECD after Luxembourg, at 30% of the population. This was more than twice the OECD average (14%).
Migration provides a significant boost to Australia's overall economy and workforce through increased wages and productivity and greater demand for products and services.
Labour productivity
Migration boosts overall labour productivity. On average, a region with a 10% larger migrant share (e.g. 33% instead of 30%) has a 1.3% larger regional wage difference, which indicates a positive link between migration and labour productivity.
Employment rate
Migration boosts employment of the Australian‑born population. On average, 1% rise in the annual migrant inflow (measured as share of the total population) leads to a 0.53% increase in the employment of the Australian‑born population.
Patent applications
Migration boosts patenting in Australia. On average, a 1% increase in the regional employment share of higher‑educated migrants (those with at least a college degree) relative to total employment leads to a 4.8% rise in regional patent applications across 5 years.
Source: OECD: Findings on the effects of migration on Australia’s economy
Better reflect and serve the community
Workforce diversity can bring new perspectives and connections, better teamwork and problem solving. It promotes your business as an inclusive organisation to customers and prospective job applicants, and often better reflects the diversity of your customers.
For example, people from migrant and refugee backgrounds may know languages and cultural practices that help your business serve the community, especially if your business operates in an area with a highly multicultural customer base.
Video: Nour's story
Nour is from Syria and works as a Senior Member Experience Officer at Heritage Bank.
'For us, employing someone from our migrant community has allowed us not only to enrich their lives, to enrich our lives and be a better bank.'
– Sharma Haller, Heritage Bank, Toowoomba
Also consider...
- Access webinars from Multicultural Queensland Month 2024.
- Read An employer's guide to working with refugees (PDF, 2.9MB).
- Learn more about workplace diversity and inclusion.
- Read about hiring and recruiting staff and finding the right people.
- Contact one of our Industry Workforce Advisors to get specialised advice and support for your industry.
- Read more about the Back to Work program, which supports employers who hire long-term unemployed jobseekers.
- Find information, tips and resources on hiring and recruiting from our Mentoring for Growth mentors.
- Read Good people, Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 – the Queensland Government's 10-year Strategy to strengthen Queensland's workforce.