Low income migrant tide Birrell, Bob Edwards, Daniel 10.4225/03/590bd1b67d20e https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Low_income_migrant_tide/4975325 First release 2006 census data allow an examination of the income levels of recently arrived migrants. Their numbers jumped in the 2001 to 2006 period. This article focuses on men aged 25 to 45 as these provide the best approximate principal applicants visaed under the skilled migration program. Men in this age group who came from main-English-speaking countries (MESC) reported incomes consistent with employment in professional, managerial and trade positions. However, the majority of skilled migrants were drawn from non-English-speaking countries (NESC). Their reported incomes were well below those of their MESC counterparts. It appears that only a minority were able to find employment at the professional, managerial or trade level by the August 2006 Census date. This is despite the fact that most NESC males settled in Sydney and Melbourne. Copyright. Monash University and the author/s 2017-05-05 01:13:25 1959.1/481877 monash:64123 journal article Skilled migrants 1039-4788 Australian census 2006 Income