The tourism industry has branded claims that young Australians are losing out on jobs to working holiday makers as “simplistic and reactive”, insisting the program in fact creates additional business and economic opportunities across the country.
The comments respond to a call for the visa program to be reconsidered made by Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney.
Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Ken Morrison referred to youth unemployment rates to population rates of 4.2%, highlighting them as “historic lows”.
“Contrary to claims by the ACTU that working holiday makers are taking jobs from young Australians, this has the effect of creating net demand for goods and services, delivering job opportunities in both our cities and regional Australia,” he said.
“The average working holiday maker spends more than $13,000 during their eight-month stay, adding demand for goods and services to the Australian economy and helping to support tourism jobs and businesses as they travel around the country.”
Meanwhile, the Australian Tourism Export Council also waded into the debate, saying the evidence is “clear” than working holiday makers are the “lifeblood” of many regional towns.
“In ATEC’s position paper The Importance of the Working Holiday Visa, we showed that for each 100 WHM visitors to Australia, 6.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs are created – the notion that these visitors are taking jobs from young people is simply wrong,” chairman John King said.
“These visitors are only able to work for short periods of time with one employer and often help fill un-skilled and semi-skilled roles in peak periods, not long-term career positions.”
Instead, working holiday makers should be allowed to stay longer with each making a “valuable” contribution to Australia’s economy, he continued.
“This message from the ACTU President, Ged Kearney, is simplistic and reactive failing to recognise the jobs that WHM create – jobs that would not be available in our economy if we were to erect more barriers.
“I would encourage Ms Kearney to look beyond the rhetoric and consider the broader economy in her comments on the contribution these visitors make to Australia’s employment creation.”
