Australia's intake of skilled migrants will be slashed by 18,500 over the next three months — 14 per cent of the annual intake — in a dramatic move to protect local jobs.

Less than a year after increasing the skilled migrant intake to record levels, the Rudd Government has responded to the deepening economic crisis by removing building and manufacturing trades from the list of workers Australia is seeking from overseas.

Bricklayers, plumbers, welders, carpenters and metal fitters will no longer get entry. The list of critical skills is now confined mainly to the health and medical, engineering and IT professions.

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