Immigrants & the Professions in Australia
by Bob Birrell, Centre of Population and Urban Research, Monash University, and Leslyanne Hawthorne, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 1997
This study is based on unpublished customised data from the 1991 census and reports the workforce situations of all persons qualified at degree and diploma level by the time of arrival in Australia by selected birthplaces and, if employed, by occupations and, if not, whether unemployed or not in the workforce.
Immigrants and the professions in Australia seeks to answer a number of questions regarding the progress of migrant professionals in Australia, including:
- what is the contribution of overseas-born professionals to the professional workforce in Australia?
- how have immigrants with professional qualifications fared in converting these qualifications into professional and managerial level employment in Australia?
- does the employment outcome vary according to place of birth and time of arrival in Australia?
- do employers prefer recent Australian-trained graduates relative to experienced overseas-trained professionals?