Anthony Albanese is thinking about increasing the starting wage for temporary skilled workers.
The $53,900 barrier, which has not been raised since 2013, will be addressed during the jobs and skills conference next week.
In order to discourage employers from hiring foreign labor instead of locals who have been trained, unions propose a minimum wage of $91,000 for qualified migrants.
Business organizations contend that a $60,000 cutoff is more reasonable and would let immigrants to work in healthcare facilities like hospitals and nursing homes.
Any increase would only apply to those applying for new visas, not to those already residing in Australia.
Because of the nation’s low unemployment rate of 3.4%, which is the lowest level since August 1974, employers are having difficulty filling open positions.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged the government is thinking about increasing the minimum wage barrier for skilled immigrants when speaking to ABC radio on Thursday.
“It hasn’t changed since 2013,” you say. He said, “We don’t want to see local salaries being undercut.”
As others have said, “We do have to weigh it against issues in the care sector and elsewhere.”
The relevant ministries will examine a variety of processes and levers in the migration system and the skills system.
Our opinion is that immigration may play a part in addressing real labor shortages, but it shouldn’t take the place of preparing more Australians for greater possibilities.
600,000 temporary migrants departed Australia during the epidemic as a result of the country’s tight border restrictions and Covid-19 lockdowns.
As a consequence, Australia has the second-worst skills shortfall among developed OECD countries, after only Canada.
The government’s jobs and skills conference will include immigration policy as a major topic next week.
The administration of Mr. Albanese is also considering raising the annual quota on immigration from 160,000 to 200,000 and providing a road to permanent residence for all qualified immigrants.