CEDA’s report on how to fix the aged care worker shortage claims migration is key – but a closer look at the data reveals a very different picture. Before we reach for new visa schemes, we need to focus on the workers already here: most are permanent residents or citizens, and many want more hours. The answers are hiding in plain sight.

Is aged care dependent on migrant workers?

The first step in answering this question is to define ‘migrant workers.’ The widest definition is all those born overseas. This figure has been around one third of the aged care workforce over previous surveys: 35 per cent in residential care and 18 per cent for the two home care programs in a 2020 survey. Surveys conducted by the National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS) in 2007, 2012 and 2016 reported that in residential care, this proportion fluctuated marginally between 32-35 per cent, and in community care declined from 27 per cent in the earlier surveys to 23 per cent in 2016.

Further insights into the composition of the workforce are provided by additional items on visa status collected in the latest surveys.

The Worker Survey reports that 57 per cent were born in Australia, 20 per cent were born overseas and had become Australian citizens or were New Zealand Citizens, and 9 per cent were born in other countries and had permanent resident status (PR) – 86 per cent in total. The remaining 11 per cent holding temporary visas divided almost evenly between those on student visas and other graduate or skilled visas. Another 2 per cent were on another temporary visa and only 1 per cent did not know their visa status.

The Provider Survey reported 83 per cent were Australian or New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, and 17 per cent held temporary visas. These results for valid responses are consistent with the figures above. A different picture emerges when ‘unknown’ responses are taken into account. The total share born in Australia plus overseas born citizens and........

© Pearls and Irritations