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Santosh Jatrana , Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University
Humanitarian migrants face distinct challenges in achieving economic integration compared to other migrant groups. This study investigates the influence of English language proficiency (ELP) on the labour force participation and employment outcomes of humanitarian migrants in Australia. Using the Ecosystems Model of Refugee Resettlement as the conceptual framework, the analysis draws on longitudinal data from 2,277 participants across Waves 1, 3, and 5 of the Building a New Life in Australia survey—the most comprehensive dataset of its kind globally. Multilevel multinomial mixed-effects logit models were used to estimate the association between ELP and economic outcomes, controlling for individual, pre-migration, and post-migration factors. At Wave 1, only 22.9% of participants were in the labour force, increasing to 47.8% by Wave 5. Among those in the labour force, employment rose from 29.2% to 72.1% across the same period. The proportion of respondents with no English proficiency decreased from 27.9% to 13.6%. After adjusting for confounders, those who spoke and understood English somewhat/well and very well were 2.7 times (95% CI 1.94–3.69) and 4.0 times (95% CI 2.5–6.59) more likely to participate in the labour force than those with no proficiency. However, higher ELP did not significantly predict employment attainment. Gender and age were strong independent predictors of both outcomes. These findings demonstrate that English proficiency facilitates labour force participation but does not guarantee employment, highlighting persistent structural and social barriers. Policies integrating language training with broader labour market and equity initiatives are essential for sustainable economic settlement.
Presented in Session P4. Migration, Migrants, and Mobility
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