"The share of recent migrants in Australian workforce has almost doubled in the past 20 years, reaffirming the need to protect and support the skilled labour streams for Australian companies to support and care for communities," said Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association, Australian Industry Group.
"The percentage of recent migrants – those arriving in the last five years – in the workforce has grown from 3.5% in 2007 to 6% in 2026, according to our analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics labour and population statistics.
"Most of the increase has occurred since the pandemic, when migrants have played a critical role in filling acute workforce shortages across many parts of the Australian economy.
"Migrants are a particularly important source of skills for industrial trades and the care sector, where Australia faces chronic shortages of skilled labour.
"One of the key factors behind the economic contribution of skilled migrants is their strong eductional profile – almost 58% have a university qualification, compared with 32.9% of Australian-born workers.
"They are highly represented in ICT, engineering, healthcare and professional services – as companies struggle to source the skills domestically.
"In turn, recent migrants support growth, investment, innovation and adoption of new technology.
"Their contribution is diversifying across a range of areas and they now represent 9.3% of carers, 6.5% of plant operators, 6.3% of health professionals and 4.8% of automotive trades.
"These occupations are critical for delivering projects of national importance, such as raising housing construction, developing new industrial capabilities and delivering quality care services for an ageing population.
"It is critical Australia maintains its skilled migration pathways because without migrants we would not be able to deliver the services and goods the community expects," Mr Willox said.
Read Australian Industry Group's Research Note:
The contribution of recent migrants to Australia's workforce
