are inextricably linked to Australia's future prosperity and standard of

living. National productivity levels are under threat as the population

ages. As baby boomers retire, the changing demographics will have a

profound impact on workforce participation levels. Immigration is

considered one quick fix to the workforce participation problem, but

it's contentious. And with the rules about to change to streamline the

process for bringing skilled migrants into Australia, it's an ongoing

topic of hot debate. Demographer Peter McDonald, deputy director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Population Ageing Research,

suggests skilled migration is one ready way to keep growing the economy

and may also increase wages for lower-skilled workers. While keeping

older Australians engaged in the workforce remains key, McDonald tells

Julian Lorkin of Knowledge@Australian School of Business, an important

part of boosting productivity also involves improving infrastructure to

ensure international competitiveness.