Using or abusing? Scrutinising employer demand for temporary sponsored skilled migrants in the Australian hospitality industry

Abstract

This article analyses the function of temporary sponsored skilled migrants in Australian hospitality, an industry with acute difficulties attracting and retaining skilled workers. Drawing upon survey data, the findings indicate that rather than utilising temporary sponsored skilled migration to source hard skills, as assumed within the extant literature, employers’ recruitment practices are motivated by a desire to source soft skills and labour perceived as relatively controllable, productive and reliable. In explaining these findings, the article develops new insights regarding the dependence of temporary sponsored skilled migrants on their employer sponsors and the industry effects of hospitality. These factors make these workers a relatively more attractive source of labour and shape the nature of employer demand.