Western Australia is one of only two states to enjoy a long-term average of positive net interstate migration, according to a new report by the Department of Treasury and Finance.
Western Australia is one of only two states to enjoy a long-term average of positive net interstate migration, according to a new report by the Department of Treasury and Finance.
The report, titled ‘Migration in Western Australia – A Recent Economic History’, analysed the relative contributions of net interstate and overseas migration and natural population growth to the state’s population, and analysed trends in the composition of the migrating population.
The report found net migration was a more volatile contributor to population growth than natural increase, ranging between 3,700 persons and 24,100 persons per year over the period 1978-79 to 2004-05.
During the same period, interstate migration demonstrated a long-term, positive trend, averaging 1,800 persons per year and a contribution of 6 per cent to population growth per year.
This trend was characterised by cyclical changes that fluctuated with job opportunities and changes in economic climate, with a decrease around the 1991 recession and a recent increase following strong economic growth over the past five years.
WA also experienced a net loss in interstate migration to Queensland in most years from 1986-87.
Overseas migration accounted for a growth of 44 per cent in the state’s population since 1978-79 and contributed on average between 12,000 and 16,000 persons to the state’s population per year since the mid-1990s.
It was the single largest component of population growth since 1998-99, exceeding interstate migration and natural growth.
Skilled workers constituted a larger proportion of WA’s migrant intake than in other states, with the state’s share of Australian permanent settlement for persons on skilled visas exceeding both family visas and non-program migration since 1982-83.
During the same period, WA’s share of skilled visas consistently exceeded its share of the national population, ranging between 15 and 20 per cent of the national allocation since the mid-1990s.
The emphasis on skilled migration resulted in a disproportionate number of people in the ‘professionals’ occupation group relative to the total labour market, comprising 3,287 persons (43 per cent) of all employed permanent arrivals in 2004-05, compared with 1,182 tradespersons and related workers.
Engineers accounted for almost a third of migrants in the ‘professionals’ category, followed by business and information professionals and health practitioners.
Before 1993-94, net permanent migration to WA was cyclical and volatile, however since 1994-95 it has been stable, following strong economic growth since 2000-01, WA has increased its share of national settlement.
In terms of migration from WA, there was a small net interstate migration loss of young professionals since 2001, with a large proportion in financial and business occupations.
There has also been a sharp increase in overseas migration from WA since the mid-1990s, consistent with an international trend, with numbers of departures approximately doubling during the period.
There has been a corresponding increase in long-term visitors and business migrants since 1993-94, consistent with national trends and changes in national policy regarding student visas.
