Australia slashes immigration as recession looms

[peejay 327]

Australia slashes immigration as recession looms

Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:56am EDT

By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia will cut its intake of migrants for the first time in a decade, the government said on Monday, amid concern that skilled foreign workers could stoke resentment by taking jobs at a time of rising unemployment.

With a recession looming and the center-left government expecting unemployment to reach 7 percent by mid-2010, Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the intake of skilled migrants would be reduced by about 14 percent.

Australia goes to the polls in late 2010 and immigration has been a charged issue in past polls, particularly following economic downturn.

A leading migration expert, former government official Bob Kinnaird, said record recent migrant arrivals in a fast shrinking job market were leading to "highly combustible" conditions in regional areas, where many new arrivals had settled.

Australia is a nation of immigrants and has been enjoying a boom in new arrivals for the past decade to help meet labor shortages as a China-fueled mining boom drove unemployment rates to 30-year lows.

But six of Australia's major trading partners are now in recession and economic growth has stalled. The country moved a step closer to recession this month with the first contraction in eight years and the economy shrinking by 0.5 percent.

Australia's jobless rate spiked to 5.2 percent from 4.8 percent last month with the biggest impact felt by full-time workers. Some economists fear unemployment levels could go as high as 10 percent.

Evans said the immigration intake next year would be cut to 115,000, from 133,500 in 2008-09.

"MADNESS REIGNS"

In major resource states Queensland and Western Australia, retrenched mine workers returning to their home towns found that jobs there had been filled by foreign workers, sparking resentment, Kinnaird said.

"You could say in those last few months that madness has reigned," he told the Brisbane Times newspaper.

The ruling Labor Party, with its roots in the workers' movement, should have acted sooner to cut migration as economic conditions cooled to lance any voter backlash and ease tensions in critical country voting areas, he said.

But the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the government needed to be wary of tinkering with immigration, as many skilled employment areas still faced a worker shortage and lack of workers could crimp an economic recovery.

"We would have preferred a status quo position," chamber Chief Executive Peter Anderson said.

Evans, who removed hairdressers and cooks off Australia's critical occupation shortage list at Christmas, said he was now also deleting foreign bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters and electricians from the list that guides skilled migration intake.

Further cuts were likely in the May 12 budget, he said, leaving only health occupations, engineering and information technology skills as needed skills.

"What we'll look to do is run a smaller program and keep the capacity to make sure we can bring in any labor we might need as the year develops," Evans said.

The government hopes its recently announced A$42 billion ($27.5 billion) stimulus package, including cash handouts and infrastructure spending, will help the economy through the downturn.

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMo...E52F1HM20090316

[mawilson 2,133]

Makes sense.

[Ban Hammer 14,297]

Makes sense.

yes, it does. but someone will bash it trying to get one over on booyah.

[HAL 9000 96]

Makes sense.

Yep. Not many illegal canoes landing in Queensland these days.

[Heracles 417]

Makes sense.

Yep. Not many illegal canoes landing in Queensland these days.

Yet they are still slashing immigration.

It's a alien concept to some here but its known as protecting your local job market. I know I know, weird concept right.

Another weird concept is that the government decides who and how many come, rather than illegal immigrants. Weird right? Welcome to the rest of the world.

Edited March 20, 2009 by Constellation

[Danno 1,228]

According to those who support our illegal flood, we "benefited" economically from the illegals being here, so I guess according to that logic, we actually need "more" illegals as this will surely help our economical situation.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Well, if we want underqualified people working as Engineers, and Doctors here in the US, then so be it. No more immigration.

Edited March 20, 2009 by Niels Bohr

[peejay 327]

Well, if we want underqualified people working as Engineers, and Doctors here in the US, then so be it. No more immigration.

The USA accomplished many great things from 1924 - 1965 when immigration was slashed drastically.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Well, if we want underqualified people working as Engineers, and Doctors here in the US, then so be it. No more immigration.

The USA accomplished many great things from 1924 - 1965 when immigration was slashed drastically.

Most of the success came from the immigrants, not the natural citizen.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

Well, if we want underqualified people working as Engineers, and Doctors here in the US, then so be it. No more immigration.

The USA accomplished many great things from 1924 - 1965 when immigration was slashed drastically.

like what?

enlight me...

[almaty 19]

????????????????????

[Heracles 417]

Well, if we want underqualified people working as Engineers, and Doctors here in the US, then so be it. No more immigration.

The USA accomplished many great things from 1924 - 1965 when immigration was slashed drastically.

like what?

enlight me...

Heard of the transistor. It's a fundamental component of the PC you are now using.

Well, if we want underqualified people working as Engineers, and Doctors here in the US, then so be it. No more immigration.

Why play dumb when you know what he is talking about. He is not talking about professional immigrants. Just in case you don't get it, he is talking about illegals who take it upon themselves to decide that they have permission to come here and live here.

Edited March 20, 2009 by Constellation

[HAL 9000 96]

According to those who support our illegal flood, we "benefited" economically from the illegals being here, so I guess according to that logic, we actually need "more" illegals as this will surely help our economical situation.

I'm sure they think that way. But to be a little bit more honest, lets ID some of those supporters, shall we? A couple of givens: these people are greedy, and prefer to pay less for an illegal to maximize profit. Sounds like a very particular breed of American businessperson to me.

[Heracles 417]

According to those who support our illegal flood, we "benefited" economically from the illegals being here, so I guess according to that logic, we actually need "more" illegals as this will surely help our economical situation.

I'm sure they think that way. But to be a little bit more honest, lets ID some of those supporters, shall we? A couple of givens: these people are greedy, and prefer to pay less for an illegal to maximize profit. Sounds like a very particular breed of American businessperson to me.

Or these people are in white collar jobs and think thought it didn't affect them. Karma is a ###### hey.. How's you house price going by the way. Oh wait, I thought this didn't effect white collar uni boys.

PS Dude grow up and get over the I'm ignoring him #######.

[Niels Bohr 72]

constellation,

I see you like to spit into people's mouth. That's a very bad habit because you have no idea that many of these acomplishments comes from legal alieans, not illegals. You are the one who's playing dumb.

Let me have a chance to spit back into yours. Based on your statements towards me, it can be inferred that you associate legit ones with the illegitimate ones. Do you know your right from your left? I don't think so.

Edited March 20, 2009 by Niels Bohr