Australia’s unemployment rate fell to 4.2% for December, its lowest rate since August 2008 during the mining boom.

Despite 65,000 more Aussies taking up employment during December, the labour shortage crisis continues to confront businesses around the country with healthcare being one of the hardest hit sectors.

A study by the Ai Group found that 73% of Australian businesses expect that they will have difficulty finding and retaining skilled labour in 2022 especially because the average qualification for skills takes 3 to 4 years.

But as international borders begin reopening on Australia’s east coast, the desperate need for healthcare workers may be eased slightly as overseas nurses are able to return to employment down under after a near 2-year pandemic-related hiatus.