Migrant boost fills Australian skills shortage

The ranks of Australia's skilled workers have been boosted by almost 78,000 in the past year in an effort to solve the country's skills shortage. It's the largest intake of skilled migrants since the late 1980s. Australian Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said the government had responded to the shortage by bringing record numbers of skilled migrants to the country. The Australian Government has made over 97,500 Skilled Visas available for 2005-06. In recent months over 150,000 jobs have been advertised weekly, and unemployment is at the lowest level in the last 10 years. Australian Government statistics confirm 89% of Skilled Independent Visa holders gain employment within the first six months. A total of 18,700 migrants took advantage of the state-specific and View the rest of this article