Hospitality sector warns Australia of severe staff shortages if migration cuts proceed

The Australian Hotel Association released an AI-driven advertisement showing a future Australia with vacant coffee counters, self-service hotel rooms and elderly people losing carers, to highlight the risk of cutting skilled migration. Chief executive Stephen Ferguson warned that 7,000 chef and cook jobs are unfilled today and the gap could expand dramatically. New data from the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia indicates more than 70% of surveyed business owners consider migrant workers vital for key roles.

Politicians from One Nation, the Coalition and Labor have each pledged to lower net overseas migration, but none have presented economic modelling of the proposals. Officials such as Deputy Liberal leader Jane Hume and Immigration Minister Tony Burke warned that excessive cuts could turn Australia into a “guest-worker economy” and jeopardise sectors beyond hospitality.