"Despite talk of a recession, other sectors would give their eye-teeth to tap into 68,000 skilled or semi-skilled workers, and they wouldn’t need a $24,000 subsidy per worker either."
So what is the actual value of the subsidy per worker, $57,000 or only $24,000?
I wonder how much of a govt subsidy the arts sector is getting. Yes I know they are adding to the national psyche, while the car workers are building pollution makers (as are the overseas factory workers from whom we import cars).
The skills shortage exists because we have constructed a rotten education system, and industry knows it can just run to the govt and demand the right to import cheaper and more compliant overseas labour. Rorting all around.
In any case the skills shortage is about to end with rising unemployment (JPMorgan thinks we will have 9% unemployment in 2010 (or was that late 2009, can not recall). Much of the so called skilled inflow is actually unskilled or semi-skilled workers for meatworks, foodjoints etc. And do we really need more accountants or lawyers? The accounting firms need them as foot soldiers so that the partners can earn their big fees as they chase new activities of regulation.
