The global stock of international migrants reached 284.5 million in 2022, with 255.7 million of them of working age (15 and over), according to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, released in Geneva on Monday. The number of international migrants in the labour force, both employed and unemployed, was 167.7 million — over 30 million more people than in 2013 in 2022.
The distribution of international migrants in the labour force in Northern, Southern, and Western Europe increased marginally between 2013 and 2022, from 22.5% to 23.3%, partly because of changes in the migration policy to accommodate the growing labour market. ”In North America, the proportion of international migrants in the labour force decreased from 23.8% in 2013 to 22.6% in 2022, which could be the outcome of the nature of migration policies over the years,” the report noted.
Europe preferred
The report said that in 2022, international migrants in the labour force were concentrated in Europe and Central Asia, accounting for 34.5% of them (57.8 million), followed by the Americas at 27.3% (45.8 million), Asia and the Pacific at 16.2% (27.2 million), the Arab States at 13.5%, (22.6 million), and Africa at 8.5% (14.3 million). The majority of the international migrants in the labour force in 2022 resided in Northern, Southern and Western Europe (23.3%); Northern America (22.6%); and the Arab States (13.5%). “Collectively, these three regions hosted 59.4% of all international migrants in the labour force. From 2013 to 2022, the distribution of international migrants in the labour force by region remained relatively stable,” the report said.
The share of international migrants in the labour force in the Arab States too slightly decreased from 13.8% in 2017 to 13.5% in 2022. “Among the other subregions, South-Eastern Asia and the Pacific, as well as Central and Western Asia, experienced an increase in the share of international migrants in the labour force,” the report said. Foreign migrants represented more than one third of the labour force of the Arab States (37.2%). Europe and Central Asia (12.9%) and the Americas (9%) also had significant proportions of migrants in their labour force.
High-income countries
The majority of migrants in the labour force were concentrated in high-income countries, which accounted for 68.4% of the total (114.7 million people), followed by 17.4% (29.2 million) in upper-middle-income countries. Of the 167.7 million migrants in the labour force in 2022, 155.6 million were employed, while 12.1 million were unemployed. “Significant gender disparities persisted, as migrant women had an employment-to-population ratio of only 48.1%, compared to 72.8% for migrant men,” the ILO said.
“Migrant workers are indispensable in addressing global labour 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,” he added.
Published – December 17, 2024 05:51 am IST
