The number of permanent migrants entering Australia continued to swell in June, helping fill skill shortages in the booming mining sector while supporting demand for services and housing.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed 691,300 Australians left on short-term visits in June, seasonally adjusted, up 8.4 percent on the same month last year.

For the 12 months to June, there were a record 8 million trips abroad with New Zealand the most favoured spot followed by Indonesia, the United States and Thailand.

Short-term visitor arrivals climbed to 515,100 in June, an increase of more than 8 percent on the same month of 2011. For the year to June, visitor arrivals reached 6 million, again an all-time high.

Arrivals from mainland China totalled 55,200 in June, an increase of over 22 percent for the year. For the whole 12 months to June, there were 595,600 visitors from China.

That almost passed arrivals from Britain at 596,300, though it remains well behind the 1.2 million visits by New Zealanders.

There were 13,460 permanent migrants into Australia in June, bringing the total for the year to 158,940, the highest in 37 months. Net permanent and long-term arrivals reached 283,330 for the year to June, the most in 29 months. (Reporting by Wayne Cole)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency