Migrants Tend To Be ‘Own Bosses’

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30631, 23 December 1964, Page 13

Migrants Tend To Be ‘Own Bosses’

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, December 22.

The Minister for Immigration (Mr H. Opperman) said today that there was an increasing trend for migrants settling in Australia to become self-employed or employers of labour.

He said that latest extracts'] from the 1961 census showed) ithat about 100,000 post-war , i migrants had become selfemployed or employers. In 1947 there were virtually no self-employed migrants in Australia. “This trend is to be greatly encouraged, since migrant employers provide not only employment for other migrants and Australians, but they often introduce valuable new techniques,” Mr Opperman said. “It is well known that migrants who become employers

Tor self-employed do so after I working as employees for sevJeral years.” I He said that 12 per cent of all British-born male workers become employers or selfemployed. compared with 15 per cent of other migrants born overseas and 19 per cent of Australian-born. “While we are aware of the contribution made by migrant employees in our great manufacturing and development projects, we tend to overlook this further contribution that others make through their own enterprise,” Mr Opperman said.