Almost two thirds of Australia's 1.5 million recent migrants and temporary residents were employed in 2013, according to a survey released on Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
ABS Director of Culture, Recreation and Migrant Statistics, Andrew Middleton, said the survey collected information about migrants who have come to Australia over the past 10 years and how they have fared after their arrival.
"About 11 percent of recent migrants who have had a job in Australia had their first job arranged before their arrival. Another 43 percent spent three months or less looking for their first job," Middleton said.
Just over one third (34 percent) of recent migrants experienced difficulty finding their first job, with the most common reason being a lack of Australian work experience or references (61 percent), followed by language difficulties (33 percent).
Around 43 percent of recent migrants who have had a job since arrival received some form of help to find their job. The most common form of help was friends or family (70 percent), followed by help from an employment services provider (20 percent).
An estimated 62 percent of recent migrants had obtained a non- school qualification before arrival in Australia. Of these, 72 percent had obtained a Bachelor Degree or higher one. Additionally, almost one third (30 percent) of recent migrants had obtained a non-school qualification since arrival in Australia.