OECD "6.1 Million Immigrants in 38 Member Countries"
Advanced Countries Facing Workforce Decline
Trend of Increasing Employment Immigration
Last year, the number of immigrants entering the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reached an all-time high. This was the result of advanced countries facing a decline in labor force due to demographic changes such as aging, leading them to seek overseas labor, combined with the influx of immigrants fleeing humanitarian crises and seeking asylum.
According to the OECD on the 24th, the total number of overseas immigrants entering the 38 member countries last year was 6.1 million, the largest scale ever recorded. However, 4.7 million Ukrainians who migrated to OECD member countries to escape Russia's invasion were not included in this figure.
The number of immigrants last year increased by 26% compared to the previous year, and even compared to 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic led to border closures that blocked overseas immigration, it rose by 14%.
The significant increase was largely due to the number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany and the United States doubling. People fleeing humanitarian crises in South America and the Middle East, including Venezuela, Cuba, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua, crossed the borders into the United States and Germany aiming for advanced countries.
In particular, the OECD stated that employment-based immigration increased as advanced countries struggled with labor shortages caused by low birth rates and aging populations. The proportion of labor force inflow due to domestic worker shortages among all immigrants is on the rise. According to OECD analysis, employment immigration, which can lead to permanent residency, recorded the highest level in 15 years. In the United Kingdom, this figure nearly doubled. In Germany, it increased by 59%, while in the United States and France, it rose by 39% and 26%, respectively. New Zealand implemented a one-time policy providing temporary accommodation to foreign workers, resulting in a threefold increase in labor migrants from overseas. The OECD explained that employment immigration now accounts for more than one-fifth of cross-border movements.
The employment rate of overseas migrants exceeded 70%, reaching an all-time high. The unemployment rate was recorded at below 8%. This level surpasses the employment rates of domestic workers in many countries.
The inflow of overseas labor into OECD member countries is expected to accelerate further. In the case of the European Union (EU), considering current population trends, it is estimated that a total of 50 million people will need to immigrate from overseas over the next 25 years to stabilize the population structure. Jos? Luis Escriv?, Spain’s Minister of Social Security, stated, "Most OECD countries are experiencing labor shortages," adding, "The situation will only worsen in the future."
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