Overqualified Migrants Suffer Depression

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Skilled migrants who move to Australia but are unable to secure jobs in line with their qualifications after three years are more likely to be depressed, a study shows.

 

Between 36 per cent and almost 50 per cent of 11,450 new migrants surveyed said they did not use their skills or qualifications in their job more than three years after arriving in Australia.

 

Those who were overqualified for their jobs were more likely to suffer from mental health problems, the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) study found.

 

Associate Professor Alison Reid said migrants often took any job when they first arrived to cover the cost of migration.

 

These jobs included cleaning, labouring, factory work, driving taxis or waiting in restaurants, even if individuals were overqualified.

 

"It takes a while to get skills recognised, but if people are still in those jobs after a period of time, that's when mental health problems such as anxiety disorders can affect them," Prof Reid said.

[sussex boy]

Good post, and a good reason anyone thinking of making the move should do their best to either secure a job or at least make sure their skill is in demand. Moving to OZ is tough enough without the hassles of unemployment etc.