New data indicates that high salaries and the ability to pick and choose jobs is not making WA the 'hot spot' for engineers, according to a Perth-based engineering recruitment site.
Engineering Jobs Australia and ExpatEngineer.net managing director John Kirkby claims new data indicates that high salaries and the ability to pick and choose jobs is not making WA the 'hot spot' for engineers, according to a Perth-based engineering recruitment site.
Not surprisingly, the data showed that NSW had the largest group of professional Engineers looking for new opportunities within Australia (33%); With Victoria (23%), Queensland (21%) and WA rounding out the top four (15%).
More significantly, it revealed that WA had the largest percentage of engineers looking for work opportunities overseas - at more than twice the rate of any other of Australian jurisdiction.
Breakdown of Australian Engineer's looking for work domestically and overseas:
Australian engineers looking for work domestically:
WA 15%, NSW 33%, VIC 23%, QLD 21%, SA 7%, ACT 2%.
Australian engineers looking for work overseas:
WA 43%, NSW 18%, VIC 20%, QLD 14%, SA 4%, ACT 1%.
Western Australia's resources boom has caused record low unemployment rates (3.1%) but required the majority of engineers to work in excess of 50 hours per week. The long hours have increased stress on the family unit and the high salaries have mostly been lost to high taxes, states John. "It is evident that WA engineers are increasingly looking overseas for their next opportunity where they can earn a tax-free salary, have their schooling and accommodation paid for and are able to take longer holidays".
If trends continue and the State and Federal government does not change its policies on taxation and immigration, it appears that the skill shortage in WA is set to become even worse in the coming years.
