Working in Australia



Sydney Opera House - photo by Julie R Butler



by Julie R Butler

I would like to apologize for posting an article recently about houses in the Australian Outback that has subsequently been removed.

The reality of Australia is that Australia simply does not present itself as a good location for retirees on pensions.

Where Australia is attractive to expatriates is in the area of skilled workers – at least for the moment. In fact, Australia’s economy has been so strong of late that there is currently a shortage of skilled workers, so salaries for these workers have been going up, with immigration policies having been eased so as to allow companies to fill skilled worker shortages with overseas workers. Australia’s prosperous economy has become a hub for business between the West and Asia, while the mining industry is booming once again.

This prosperity has unfortunately brought about the unintentional side effect of mounting tension over the fact that the high-paying jobs are going to foreigners, who are driving the costs of living up in the cities and in their suburbs, so that Australian nationals feel that they are being shoved to the side as they are increasingly unable to afford to live in these areas. These are issues that the Australian government will need to address by encouraging the training of Australians for these high skilled jobs as well as by ensuring that other parts of the country can benefit from the prosperity that these companies are bringing in to the cities.

So, what are these “skilled” positions? Australia has what is called the Skilled Occupations Lists, which contain those professions that are most eligible for work visas. In comparing this list with the job-listing website, seek.com.au, one can see that, by far, the most sought-after professionals are in the area of Information and Communication Technology. Following that are Sales and Marketing, Accounting, Health and Medical Services, Business Administration and Office Support, and Engineering. Also on the list are the less glamorous categories of the sciences, education professionals, social workers, and chefs.



The Swan Bells, Perth
photo by Julie R Butler



Although the picture looks good for many skilled workers who are looking at the possibility of moving to Australia, the high cost of living in the major cities, where the majority of these high-skilled jobs are located, is an important factor to look at. At the same time that Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne rate highly in listings of quality of life, the cost of living in these cities also ranks extremely highly, at #4,6, and 8 respectively, according to this Cost of Living Index - ouch.

Another factor to take into account is that there is rising concern in the business sector that wage costs are beginning to hinder business investment, overcoming business taxes and government charges as the single biggest concern in a recent survey. This, even as the skills shortage is of concern, along with charges by lending institutions, insufficient retained earnings, and interest rates, according to the survey.

Also, despite the mining boom brought on by soaring commodities prices, it is hard to say what the full impact of the flooding in Queensland will be. The devastation has been estimated to have caused AUS$3 billion in lost coal exports and farm production, and could cost some $20 billion to rebuild. "These costs do not take into account the cost of lost farm infrastructure and assets which may amount to much more," The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has stated, as agriculture in the states of New South Wales and Victoria was also affected by flooding.

Regardless of anything, “Oz” is an experience that every traveler should add to their itinerary. And to emphasize its vibrant youth culture, the Aussie experience is actually quite accessible to the backpacker crowd, as qualified citizens from select nations can obtain a Working Holiday Visa and work as a bartender, boat crewmember, au pair, fruit picker, or the ever-popular barista, among many other options.

To contact Julie regarding this article, email: julie@expatdailynews.com

Julie R Butler is a traveler, blogger, freelance writer, and editor who has authored several books, self-published as eBooks, including Nine Months in Uruguay and No Stranger to Strange Lands (click here for more info). Please contact Julie for writing or editing assignments at: julierbutler [at] yahoo.com

See more expat articles by Julie at Expat Daily News Latin America.

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