Migrant workers ‘indispensable’ to global economic growth: UN labor agency
Some 167.7 million migrants will be part of the workforce in their destination countries in 2022 – an increase of more than 30 million since 2013, according to the Association’s report. ILO global estimates of international labor migration.
Of these, 102.7 million are men and 64.9 million are women.
Regional distribution
The majority of migrants have concentrated in high-income countriesaccounting for more than 68% of the total.
They mainly focus on three regions: Northern, Southern and Western Europe; North America and Arab countries.
Survival rates in Northern, Southern and Western Europe increased from 22.5% in 2013 to 23.3% in 2022, while the other two regions decreased slightly.
Gender gap
The term “international migrants in the labor force” means people who may be employed or unemployed, and more than 155 million people are employed.
the ILO However, note that Significant gender disparities persistbecause migrant women have an employment-to-population ratio of only 48.1%, compared to nearly 73% for men.
Migrants also face higher unemployment rates than non-migrants, 7.2% versus 5.2%, respectively. Again, women are more affected.
“This disparity may be driven by factors such as language barriers, unrecognized qualifications, discrimination, limited childcare options and expectations,” the ILO said. based on gender limits employment opportunities, especially for women.”
Further findings show that a significant portion of migrants, 68.4%, are employed in the service sector – a trend largely driven by global demand for care and domestic work, especially in women.
Nearly 30% of migrant women and 12.4% of men work in these jobs, compared with 19.2% of non-migrant women and 6.2% of non-migrant men.
In Singapore, an Indonesian maid prepares food in her employer’s kitchen after an early morning trip to the grocery store (file).
“Indispensable” force
The report highlights the complexity of labor migration and the need for targeted policies to support international migrants.
With most of these workers working in high-demand fields, ensuring equitable access to employment opportunities must be a top priority.
“Migrant workers are indispensable in addressing global labor shortages and contributing to economic growth,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo.
“Ensuring their rights and access to decent work is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity.”
