International Migration Outlook

Frequency :
Annual
ISSN :
1999-124X (online)
ISSN :
1995-3968 (print)
DOI :
10.1787/1999124x
Next Edition: 27 June 2012
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OECD’s annual publication analysing recent developments in migration movements and policies in its countries. Each edition provides the latest statistical information on immigrant stocks and flows, immigrants in the labour market, and migration policies. Country Reports provide detailed policy information for each OECD country and special reports look at current issues in immigration.

Also available in: French
 
International Migration Outlook 2009

International Migration Outlook 2009 You do not have access to this content

Authors:
OECD
Publication Date :
30 June 2009
Pages :
224
ISBN :
9789264063686 (PDF) ; 9789264056619 (print)
DOI :
10.1787/migr_outlook-2009-en

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Migration to OECD countries has been sharply rising over the past two decades and in recent years labour migration has significantly increased. This publication first examines the economic crisis and its impact on international migration, describes how flows and migration policy have been recently affected by the crisis, and analyses the forecast medium and long-term impact. Then, it turns to the management of labour migration, both of the highly and lesser skilled. It examines how countries should prepare now for future labour market demand and how best to redirect irregular migration into authorised channels. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each table and graph. It directs the reader to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel® format.
Multilingual Summaries
Also available in: French

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  • Cover and Table of Contents
  • Addressing the Present, Preparing the Future
    Not long ago, many OECD countries were looking to labour migration as one way to address labour shortages and the expected declines in the working-age population as a result of ageing. This was to be the new age of labour migration. High levels of migration were being recorded in the new migration countries of southern Europe and more widely, in the European Economic Area, following EU enlargement. At the same time, the traditional settlement countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) were also seeing their highest immigration levels in recent decades.
  • International Migration and the Economic Crisis

    While it is too early to have a clear view of the full impact of the unfolding economic crisis on net migration flows, the expected consequences on labour market outcomes of immigrants are unambiguous: past experience has shown that immigrants are among those hardest hit in the labour market during a downturn.

    In most OECD countries, immigrants have made an important contribution to employment growth during the past decade. In some cases, relatively easy access to labour through international recruitment has contributed to limit wage increases and to fuel the expansion phase. The big rise in the construction sector in several OECD countries is illustrative of this phenomenon. This means that the deterioration in labour market conditions will probably be stronger in countries which have recently witnessed the most rapid increase in migration flows (e.g. Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom or, to a lesser extent, the United States). More generally, given their characteristics and distribution across sectors, migrant workers are expected to be particularly vulnerable to changes in the labour market due to the economic downturn.

  • Workers Crossing Borders
    With fewer young people entering the labour market and baby-boomers retiring, many OECD countries have been looking to labour migration to help fill the expected shortfalls in labour supply over the coming decades. Although international migration is not the only way to address these shortfalls – technology, outsourcing and greater mobilisation of the domestic labour supply are others – it may play an important role in satisfying needs in certain occupations and in certain countries. At the same time, labour migration management has become an imperative, because of concerns about competition with native workers and the persistence of irregular migration and because the labour market outcomes of past immigrants and their children have not always been as favourable as expected. Public opinion in many OECD countries may not be willing to encourage further significant labour migration if these issues are not resolved.
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