Title: The Labour Market Integration of Immigrants Preliminary results from OECD country studies
1The Labour Market Integration of Immigrants -
Preliminary results from OECD country studies
- European Population Day, Tours
- 21 July 2005
- Thomas Liebig
- Non-Member Economies and International Migration
Division - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development
2Labour market integration Some key points
- Over time, as immigrants pick up language, work
practices, etc. of the host country, they should
show labour market outcomes similar to those of
comparable natives - Employment rate as the key labour market
integration indicator - Clear need to distinguish between worker and
family migration - Decline in migrants outcomes relative to those
of natives in many European OECD countries since
the early 1990s - Second generation
- growing presence in the labour market
- expectance of outcomes that are at least similar
to those of natives with the same socio-economic
background - benchmark for labour market integration
3Percentage differences in employment rates of
immigrants and natives, by years of
residence, men, 20041
1 Except for Canada (2002)
4Percentage differences in employment rates of
immigrants and natives, by years of residence,
women, 20041
1 Except for Canada (2002)
5General observations
- Outcomes vary greatly among OECD countries
- Different outcomes for different types of
migration (labour, family, humanitarian) - Migration regimes matter, in particular
qualification structure of the migrant intake - Evidence suggests problems of entry into labour
market, but good wage progression once employed - Importance of economic situation
- new arrivals particularly affected by economic
crisis - high sensitivity of immigrants employment rates
with respect to economic situation
6Employment-population ratios of native and
foreign-born in Sweden, 1987-2003
7Employment-population ratios of natives and
various immigrant groups in Germany, 1991-2004
8Outcomes of the second generationDifference
in the PISA (2003) mathematics scores of natives
and the second generation, children aged 15 years
9What works?
- Early work experience crucial
- Link language acquisition with work experience
- Temporary employment helps to overcome
information asymmetries - Coaching and network-building seems to be a
promising venue, but little sound empirical data - Early and frequent contact with host country
language crucial for educational outcomes of the
second generation, which, in turn, determines
later labour market success