原文摘錄自ABC新聞網
Farmers across regional Western Australia say they have never seen anything like it as hundreds of backpackers flock to farm-gates looking for work.
The number of backpackers undertaking agricultural work in order to stay longer in Australia has jumped by more than 25 per cent in a year and it appears to be linked to the economic downturn in Europe.
While most of the backpackers are English and Irish, the most rapid increases have been among continental Europeans.
Laura, Ronja and Lisa are from Hamburg in Germany and have been travelling around Australia for eight months.
Like them, hordes of young backpackers work in farms and orchards to help fund their journey.
The girls tried a variety of jobs.
"Peppers were very hard work because you had to bend over to pick them and you had to carry very heavy bags," they said.
"Then we got a grape-picking job which was very good, except it was out in the sun and the heat all day, and the flies were very annoying."
The trio has now travelled as far as Broome, in the far north of WA, and are again in need of cash but the work has dried up.
There are too many young travellers competing for the limited amount of casual work.
Ronja says they are hearing the same thing from backpackers in each hostel they stay in.
"I think two years ago it was much more easier than now because I think the backpacking wasn't that popular two years ago and now it's very hard," she said.
In the east Kimberley town of Kununurra, the Job Shop manager, Carol Zunker, says the significant spike in travellers looking for work is a trend being seen across regional Australia.
"It's just a sudden influx of backpackers all over Australia; I've heard there are so many in Perth, so many in Darwin," she said.
"I get calls probably about 30 times a day from backpackers looking for work, it's just crazy."
Ms Zunker is working on the frontline of the influx putting travellers in touch with mango and melon growers looking for casual workers.
"At the moment we have over 200 backpackers in town and it's just crazy," she said.
"With all the phone calls I get, just don't come here at the moment because we've got an influx of people."
Visa extensions
Immigration Department figures show the number of young people being granted working holiday visas jumped 22 per cent between 2011 and 2012.
The biggest jump and the reason that's leading backpackers to fight tooth and nail for work, is in those wanting to extend their visas for a second year.
Immigration laws mean only those who complete three month's agriculture or construction work can do so.
The number of backpackers wanting to extend has jumped 30 per-cent in the space of a year and 85 per-cent of those were allowed to stay by doing agricultural work.
Jackie Jarvis is the WA manager of the Harvest Labour Service, which helps match up backpackers with growers looking for casual labour.
Lately she is finding farmers have not been needing her help.
"I think if you speak to any farmers anywhere in Australia, where it's a known agricultural or horticultural region, what's happening is they're being literally inundated," she said.
"They're getting people turning up at the farm gate looking for work.
"In some situations where there might be say, 25 fruit picking jobs available, we're hearing stories of hundreds of backpackers turning up because of word of mouth."
Ms Jarvis thinks the increase in backpackers trying to find work is also linked to the global financial crises.
"With the massive downturn in job opportunities across, a lot of people have graduated university and found there's no job for them," she said.
"So, we're generally seeing an older backpacker who's finished university and had no job to go to."
The trio from Germany agree the economic climate at home is fuelling the wanderlust of some Europeans.
"We've met a lot of Italian people who say the working situation in their country is very hard and that's why they want to stay here, or even move here," they said.
"We've met a lot of people who don't want to stay in Italy."
Mem Beard runs a backpackers hostel in Carnarvon and provides transport to some of those working for local growers.
She says she has noticed an increase in Europeans, particularly from Italy, arriving earlier than usual looking for work at local plantations.
"I have had some conversations with some of the Italians saying that in their own country the opportunities for work are not particularly good at the moment," se said.
"So, it's a good opportunity for them to travel and while they can work it's an added bonus."
Ms Jarvis says there are obvious attractions to working in Australia.
"Wages in Australia are some of the highest in the world, I mean our workers are some of the best paid in the world," she said.
"So to be able to come to Australia and do pub work or fruit-picking work and get paid more than what you would do if you could even find a job in Europe, seems to be the main attraction."
西澳的農夫反應，他們從沒看過成百的背包客湧入農場尋求工作。
為了募集申請打工度假二簽資格，從事農場工作的背包客人數在一年內成長超過百分之二十五，這和歐洲經濟衰退也有關連。
多數的背包客為英國和愛爾蘭人，自其他歐洲大陸前來澳洲的人數也快速的成長。
Laura, Ronja 和 Lisa的家鄉在德國漢堡，他們已在澳洲打工度假八個月。
多數的年輕背包客像他們一樣在農場和果園工作以賺取旅費。
這三個女孩做過許多不同的工作。
「採集胡椒十分辛苦，必須背著沉重的袋子彎下腰撿拾。」
「之後我們找到了採葡萄的工作，相對起來輕鬆許多，除了成天必須在陽光曝曬下工作，還得對抗討人厭的蒼蠅。」
三位女孩目前來到了西澳北端布魯姆尋找工作，然而工作已被其他背包客佔滿了。
有太多需要工作的打工度假者搶破頭爭取有限的工作機會。
Ronja所待過的每一個青年旅館的其他背包客也有同感。
Ronjag：「兩年前也許還容易些，在打工度假盛行前，但是現在找尋工作十分困難。」
The Job Shop是一間背包客人力資源仲介的公司，位於位於庫努那拉東金伯利鎮。經理Carol Zunker透露，大量的背包客湧入澳洲郊區找尋工作已成趨勢。
「短期內背包客遍滿整個澳洲；我聽說許多在柏斯和達爾文。」
「我一天大約接到背包客諮詢工作的電話量是以前的三十倍。」
Zunker的工作主要與種瓜、種芒果的農場接洽，為他們找尋背包客從事臨時工作。
「目前約有兩百名背包客在鎮上，太瘋狂了。」
「勞動市場已經飽和了，因為我們已經有太多渴望臨時工的人。」
延簽資格
移民署數據顯示，2012年打工簽證核發量比去年增長百分之二十二。
為符合二簽申請資格主要是農場工作搶破頭的原因。
移民法規定只有從事三個月的農業或營建勞動工作才有資格申請二簽。
Jackie Jarvis是西澳採集勞工服務處的經理，負責背包客和農場雇主的工作媒合。
她發現農場雇主已經不需要他的幫助了。
「如果你和澳洲任何一間在以農業為地區的農場洽談，將發現他們已被背包客淹沒了。」
「許多背包客親至農場詢問工作機會。」
「有的情況甚至是，25個採果工作職缺，因為口耳相傳，超過百人應徵。」
Jarvis認為尋求工作的背包客增加，全球經濟衰退也是其中一個原因。」
「工作人力需求短缺，許多大學畢業者發現根本沒有適合他們的工作機會。」
「因此，我們看見許多背包客大學畢業後找不到工作。」
來自德國的三位女孩同意經濟衰退對部分歐洲人帶來的影響。
「我們認識許多義大利人表示義大利的就業環境十分困難，這是他們想留在、甚至長住澳洲的原因」，
「我們也認識許多不願意留在家鄉的義大利人。」
Mem Beard在西澳Carnavon經營背包旅舍，並提供背包客去農場工作的乘載服務。
她注意到歐洲人在澳洲數目的增長，由其是義大利人。
「我曾和一些義大利人聊天，他們談及目前義大利工作機會並不樂觀。」
「打工度假提供他們非常好的機會，能夠一邊旅遊並賺取外快。」
Jarvis說澳洲的工作環境有非常明顯的吸引人之處。
「澳洲的薪資是世界上名列前茅之高，在澳洲工作可以拿到世界前幾高的薪資。」
「假使能在歐洲找到工作，領的薪資也不比在澳洲從事採集工作領的薪資高，這也許是最吸引外來勞力的原因。」
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