Migration flows reach record levels in 2023

For the second year in a row, migratory flows have reached “record levels, but are not out of control,” according to the OECD. Immigrants who meet a need for labor have never been so well integrated into the labor market.

In 2023, the 38 OECD countries recorded 6.5 million new “permanent” immigrants (including people with a residence permit and European nationals), an increase of 10% compared to 2022, the year already unprecedented.

The United States, whose new president-elect Donald Trump has promised mass expulsions, remains the top destination country with 1.2 million new legal permanent residents, the highest level since 2006.

Furthermore, around a third of OECD countries have experienced record levels of immigration, in particular the United Kingdom (747,000), but also Canada (472,000), France (298,000). , Japan (155,000) and Switzerland (144,500).

Family migration

On the other hand, immigration has fallen in another third of the countries in the region, notably in Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Italy, Lithuania and New Zealand.

Most of the increase is due to family migration (+16%) which represents 43% of total entries, but humanitarian immigration (+20%) is also on the rise, notes the OECD.

Labor migration has remained stable. However, the integration of immigrants into the labor market continues to reach unprecedented levels.

The post-pandemic upward trend in immigrant employment continued in 2023, with the OECD recording “overall historically high employment levels” at 71.8%. The highest employment rate is in New Zealand (82.3%) while it reaches 62.4% in France.

At the same time, unemployment levels in these populations are low (7.3%). “They are today only slightly more likely to find themselves long-term unemployed than their native-born counterparts,” notes the international organization.

Ten countries, including Canada (75.8%), the United Kingdom (76.3%) and the United States (73.3%), as well as all 27 EU countries, recorded “the highest immigrant employment rates ever recorded.”

“The strong demand for labor in host countries has been one of the main drivers of migration over the past two years,” explains in his editorial the director of employment and labor at the OECD Stefano Scarpetta.

“In many OECD countries facing widespread labor shortages and looming demographic changes, increasing numbers of migrant workers have contributed to sustained economic growth,” he continues.

The weight of immigrants among entrepreneurs has increased considerably in OECD countries over the last 15 years. In 2022, 17% of self-employed workers were on average migrants, compared to 11% in 2006, notes the report.

“Public debate about the impact of migration on the labor market generally revolves around competition for jobs between immigrants and native-born workers. However, immigrants are not only competing workers, but also employers,” the report summarizes.

“A delicate balance required”

Aware that these “significant flows have caused widespread concern” and have notably involved a “strong demand for reception infrastructure”, the OECD believes that the management of migration “increasingly requires a delicate balance”.

In addition to toughening asylum laws, some countries have also started to impose restrictions on other legal immigration routes to ease pressure on the housing market and public services.

“At the same time, skilled labor shortages and demographic challenges continue to fuel interest in labor migration and require countries to strike a balance between restriction and attraction, in order to remain competitive destinations for foreign workers and international students.”

“Improving the accessibility and availability of professional migration pathways not only helps to address labor shortages, but is also essential to strengthen overall control of flows and manage irregular migration,” insists the director of the OECD employment.

“Latest news”

Want to stay on top of the news? “Tribune de Genève” offers you two meetings per day, directly in your email box. So you don’t miss anything that’s happening in your canton, in Switzerland or around the world.

Other newsletters

Log in

AFP

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

0 comments