Arab states draw in more migrant workers amid global surge in demand for labour

Arab nations have highest share of migrants in their labour force, UN agency finds

The Arab states had the highest share of global migrants in their labour force. Photo: FatCamera

The total number of international migrant workers reached 167.7 million in 2022, an increase of more than 30 million since 2013, driven by labour market demands and economic disparities, according to the International Labour Organisation.

Migrants now make up 4.7 per cent of the world’s total labour force, emphasising their growing role in global employment, the UN agency said in a report released on Monday.

Of the total, nearly 155.6 million migrants were employed, while 12.1 million were unemployed. This translates to an unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent, higher than the 5.2 per cent for non-migrants. The agency attributed this disparity to factors including language barriers, unrecognised foreign qualifications and discrimination.

In its fourth edition of the report, the ILO stated that growth was higher from 2013 to 2017 and from 2017 to 2019, with the number of international migrant workers increasing annually by an average of 3.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively. However, from 2019 to 2022, the growth rate slowed to less than 1 per cent annually, which could be attributed to several factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2022, international migrants in the labour force were mainly concentrated in Europe and Central Asia, accounting for 34.5 per cent of the total (57.8 million), followed by the Americas at 27.3 per cent (45.8 million), Asia-Pacific at 16.2 per cent (27.2 million), Arab States at 13.5 per cent (22.6 million) and Africa at 8.5 per cent (14.3 million).

The ILO report revealed that the employment-to-population ratio for migrants remained stable in the Americas, but it fluctuated in Asia-Pacific and Europe with an initial increase in 2019 and a subsequent decrease in 2022. In the Arab States, where it increased from 64.2 per cent in 2019 to 67.3 per cent in 2022, it was driven by demand for workers to support post-Covid economic recovery, particularly in sectors like construction and hospitality.

The employment-to-population ratio is the percentage of a country's working-age population that is currently employed.

The Arab states also had the highest share of global migrants in their labour force, with migrant men representing 38.5 per cent of male workers, and migrant women 31.1 per cent of female workers. The lowest proportion of migrants in the labour force was in Asia-Pacific, making up 1.3 per cent of the male workers and 1.5 per cent of the female workers.

The distribution of the international migrants in the labour force in 2022 showed that most lived in northern, southern and western Europe (23.3 per cent), driven by changes in migration policies aimed at addressing labour market needs.

Meanwhile, Northern America experienced a slight decline, with the proportion of migrants in the labour force dropping to 22.6 per cent in 2022 from 23.8 per cent in 2013 due to changes in immigration policies.

The ILO also reported that the total number of international migrants – people living outside their home countries – stood at 284.5 million in 2022. Of these, 255.7 million were of working age (15 years or older), though not all of them were active in the labour market.

Gender disparity

Men dominated the migrant labour force, accounting for 61.3 per cent or 102.7 million, while women represented 38.7 per cent (64.9 million).

The gender gap is also visible in employment rates, with 77.9 per cent of male migrants participating in the workforce, compared to 52.8 per cent of female migrants. Barriers such as childcare duties, cultural norms and limited job opportunities affect migrant women's participation, especially in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and North America, ILO found.

Migrants had higher labour force participation rates than non-migrants globally, 65.8 per cent and 60.1 per cent, respectively.

Many migrants move primarily for “economic reasons, seeking better job opportunities and higher wages”.

“This strong economic drive often translates into higher labour force participation … some countries have immigration policies that favour skilled workers or those who already have job offers, which can lead to higher labour force participation among migrants,” the report said.

Migrant jobs concentrated in wealthy nations

The majority of international migrants are employed in high-income countries, which accounted for 68.4 per cent (114.7 million), followed by upper-middle-income countries at 17.4 per cent (29.2 million).

The higher living standards and job opportunities in these countries offered strong incentives for migrants to move there, the report said.

In contrast, 10.9 per cent (18.2 million) and 3.3 per cent (5.5 million) of international migrants are in lower-middle-income and low-income countries, respectively.

The service sector dominates employment for both men and women, with 80.7 per cent of migrant women and 60.8 per cent of migrant men working in service-related roles. The report attributed it to the global demand for health care, domestic work, and other service-driven sectors, particularly in ageing economies.

Migrant inclusion

The report noted that international migrant workers contribute to the economic growth of their destination countries but the migration process has been increasingly complex in terms of protecting workers and fostering effective international co-operation.

The ILO warns that structural barriers, gender disparities and growing unemployment among migrants in certain regions could threaten the progress made in integrating migrant labour into the global economy.

It called for targeted policy reforms to improve job accessibility for women, address discriminatory practices, and bridge employment gaps for young people and other underrepresented groups.

“Both countries of origin and destination present distinct policy complexities and related data challenges. Origin countries lack data on brain drain, fair recruitment and working conditions of their nationals abroad, their social insurance coverage and labour market reintegration of returnees,” the report said.

“Destination countries require robust data for forecasting labour shortages and skill needs, integrating migrants in the labour market, preventing exploitation and managing irregular migration.”