Study Reveals that Overseas Students Significantly Impact Australian Job Market

The latest research held by Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed that the overseas students have a crucial impact on the Australian Job market. Henry Sherrell, Migration researcher at the Australian National University made calculations based on the statistics of the research and concluded that almost 40,000 overseas students are employed in the hospitality sector.

The research study stated that considering the huge numbers of overseas graduates and students involved in the job markets in Australia and their demographic and geographic concentration, their impact is crucial, quotes SBS.

This study is the first of its kind that provides insight on a large scale basis of the professional lives of Overseas Immigrants in Australia. It aligns biographic details and addresses of individual provisional visa holders to employment data from the Census.

The study also revealed that more than one in three overseas students was reported to have jobs in the Census held in 2011. Amongst this 15 % were employed in the hospitality sector, 11 % in the domestic assistance sector, 10% in the sales sector and 8% in the food industry.

However, the Department of Immigration does not keep a track of the employment of overseas students. These international students are permitted to be employed in work for a maximum of 20 hours in the semester period and for unrestricted hours during the semester break period.

It was reported by the Productivity Commission in 2016 that the unavailability of precise data on the pattern of employment of overseas students was making it tough to evaluate the scope of their professional rights.

However, there is huge possibility that their influence was quite significant. It is truer for overseas skilled students and their professional rights must be assessed as they are usually employed in semi-skilled jobs and are likely to be contesting with fresh hires and Australian youth as well.

Dr. Joanna Howe the University of Adelaide’s Immigration law lecturer said that it was necessary to assess the working conditions of overseas immigrant students in order to have a better understanding of their impact on the job market. It was also necessary so as to ensure that the reputation of Australia in overseas student market is not adversely affected.

It is also being now realized that the impact of Overseas Immigrant students on the job market in Australia is quite significant, added Dr. Joanna Howe.

A student of Law and commerce at the Australian National University in Canberra, Manling Zhu, from China also works as a part-time tutor. She said that she immigrated to Australia in order to be able to study in an ambiance with English as the medium of communication. Zhu added that being able to work was a crucial aspect of her student life and this helps to assimilate into the society of Australia and improve English language skills as well.

Another student at the Australian National University from Hong Kong Anson Wong agreed with Zhu and said that being employed in Australia was a very attractive thing for overseas students.

Alex Hawke, the Assistant Immigration Minister of Australia said that the Government of Australia is in favor of overseas students having the option of being employed so as to enable them to acquire skilled and cultural experience as well as enhance their proficiency in English.

The Assistant Immigration Minster also added that work permits for overseas students were a part of the initiative to remain globally competitive, specifically to attract highly skilled students and provide them suitable job opportunities.

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