Labour force figures show unemployment rates down

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Created on Wednesday, 14 March 2012 17:18

Written by Editorial staff

In what has become something of a continual trend over the last few months, the number of people employed across the country has increased.

According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the volume of unemployed persons fell by 1,700 in the month of February to 625,000.

While this figure has not been treated by a seasonal trend modifier, it does serve to show that the local job market may be strengthening in the medium term.

This point is strengthened by a couple of other statistics from the ABS - namely that the number of employed persons in the country is estimated to be above the 11.4 million mark.

As migration agents know, the availability of skilled and semi-skilled employees in a particular market can have a dramatic impact on the ability of an industry to remain competitive.

This point has been highlighted recently by the difficulties endured by firms involved in mining and resources.

These companies have faced significant difficulties in sourcing the labour they need from local markets when attempting to expand their operations.

Stories abound of mining companies offering recent engineering graduates - and in some cases even students in their final years - lucrative contracts and special treatment in an attempt to secure more human capital.

These practices have also spread to other related industries - large scale construction firms frequently find themselves in need of more staff members than they can conveniently procure from domestic labour pools.

While not directly related to these industries, hospitality businesses are also finding themselves hard-pressed to keep hold of quality staff members.

With university semesters recently begun, many of the part-time positions in bars and restaurants are suddenly vacant as their previous occupants return to their studies.

This combination of expansionary drives and seasonal employment gaps means that many businesses will be interested in turning to migrant workers to help bridge the void between supply and demand.

Australian migration agents are well placed to meet these needs, being highly experienced in navigating the plethora of hiring arrangements available to these firms.

Gaining quality advice on these matters from an impartial third party is crucial, as misunderstandings between employers and their international staff members can have the potential to damage a firm's hard-earned reputation.