26 February 2009

Strengthening EU competitiveness – potential of migrants on the labour market

Antje Gerstein, German Employers‘ Confederation (BDA)

26 February 2009Antje Gerstein 2Migrants on the labour market

Major aspects of labour migration

With regard to labour migration from third countries there are three major aspects which are interconnected:

- Development

- Remittances

- Skills

26 February 2009Antje Gerstein 3Migrants on the labour market

Development Dimension

Migration can serve as engine of growth:

In receiving countries:- juvenated workforces, promotion of

entrepreneurship, support of pension systems, meeting demands for skills

In sending countries: - positive remittance flows, transfer of

investments, skills upgrading through return migration

26 February 2009Antje Gerstein 4Migrants on the labour market

Development Dimension

Success factors:

- Different pattern of migration today promotes new management models (temporary/circular migration)

- Dense networks of interactions between sending and receiving countries facilitates balance of interests

- Well managed return migration

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Remittances have effects

26 February 2009Antje Gerstein 6Migrants on the labour market

Remittances have effects

Remittances

- meanwhile exceed official development assistance, foreign direct investment and private debt flows (300 billion US $ in 2007)

- important social safety net for poor families, possibly reducing migration

- BUT remittances are private monies that should not be expected to fund public projects

26 February 2009Antje Gerstein 7Migrants on the labour market

Skills dimension

- Skills shortages in many European countries

- Brain drain, brain waste and brain gain a complex package

- Affects different countries in different ways

- Health sector particularly affected

- Need for developing schemes that balance needs of sending and receiving countries

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Health Professionals on the move

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Low skilled labour migration

- Many sectors (agriculture, construction, household services) depend on foreign labour supply

- This migrant group has limited access to regular migration routes

- Need of a policy that is oriented on labour market needs

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Examples for schemes (according to resp. national situations)

- Circular migration schemes

- Ouotas and ceilings

- Points systems (Blue Card)

- Seasonal workers

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Seasonal workers in Germany

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What role for employers‘ organisations?

- Partners for governments in shaping migration policy

- Social dialogue as instrument for developing integration/re-integration programmes on national level

- Developing instruments for forecasting labour needs and skills shortages

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Conclusions

- Migration as such is nothing bad

- Highly political issue, national competency!

- There is no one size fits all!

- More international approaches,

- Employers should engage in successful integration schemes

- Diversity is a growing trend in companies – promote exchange of good practice