Australian work visas necessary in light of ageing population - report
February 04 2010 by Liam Clifford
A government report has outlined the importance of Australia’s ability to continue to attract foreign workers, due to its ageing population.
The 2010 Intergenerational Report has shown some alarming
statistics that illustrate the importance of Australian work visas to the
economy. The report shows that by 2050 only 60.2 per cent of Australians will be
of working age, down from 67.4 per cent now.
There are currently five
working-age Australians to every person over 65 years of age. This is due to
fall to just 2.7 by 2050.
These figures all indicate likely long-term
skills shortages in Australia’s workforce and the Chamber of Commerce and the
Australian Industry Group have all called for measures to attract more
foreigners to work in Australia.
The report states that Australian
immigration can help alleviate the strains of the ageing population as work visa
holders tend to be younger than the average member of the Australian population
– 89 per cent of people moving to Australia are under 40 year of
age.
Australian industry groups have suggested that the country’s tax
system should be made more attractive to overseas workers.
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