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.

International Migration Outlook 2009

Workers Crossing Borders

A Road-map for Managing Labour Migration