INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR TALENTS
The 2013 International Metropolis Conference Tampere, Finland, 9 September 2013
Jean-Christophe DumontHead of International Migration DivisionDirectorate for Employment Labour and Social AffairsOECD
Recent trends in high-skilled migration to OECD countries
The increasing role of Asia and foreign students
Inflows to OECD countries by destination (base 2000 = 100)
Inflows stabilize at relatively high levels
Source: OECD International Migration Database
Today’s immigrants are more educated than those who came in the past
Percentage of high-educated among the foreign-born population,2000 and 2010
Source: OECD International Migration Outlook (2012)
New immigrants fuel the growth of the highly educated labour force
Between 2000 and 2010, immigrants represented 21/14/31% of the increase in the tertiary educated labour force in the US, European OECD countries and Canada.
Changes in tertiary educated labour force, 2000-10 by source, Thousands
Source: OECD International Migration Outlook (2012)
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Migrants from Asia make a large share of skilled labour migration
Source: OECD (2012), “The Changing Role of Asia in International Migration”, International Migration Outlook, except Germany (2011) and Denmark and Norway, pooled 2011-2012. DNK Asia includes only Bangladesh and Pakistan. NLD: Other Asia is Japan only. Sweden is based on ISCO classification 1-2. Norway is geographical Asia, other countries exclude Southwest and Central Asia.
Share of skilled migrants in selected OECD countries, by permit programme, 2010-12, by nationality
In 2010/11, more than 10 million tertiary educated migrants in the OECD are originating from Asia
India
PhilippinesPreliminary data from DIOC 2010/11 (Database on Immigrants in OECD and non-OECD countries) show that, one in two recent tertiary educated migrants is originating from Asia
China
Immigrant stocks from selected Asian countries in AUS, FRA, UK and US, 2000-10
• Foreign students in the world and in the OECD area (millions)
More and more students choose to study abroad …
2000 2010
Source: OECD International Migration Outlook (2013)
… and transition to work permits has been eased in most countries
Maximum duration of job-search for post graduates schemes in selected OECD countries, in months (2012)
Source: OECD International Migration Outlook (2013)
Outside of Europe, a large share of international students are from Asia
Source: OECD International Migration Outlook (2012)
International students from Asia (including Japan and Korea) in OECD countries, 2009, thousands and percentage change from enrolment in 2004
Policy framework for high-skilled labour
migration
Are models converging ?
Many policy initiatives to foster highly skilled migration despite slack labour markets
• Major recent reforms of the labour migration system in selected OECD countries
Sweden (2008) : pure demand driven labour migration system Australia (2012) : skills select EU (2009) : implementation of the blue card Directive Germany (2013) United States (?)
• Countries with a supply driven component AUS, AUT, CAN, NLD, DNK and NZL [until recently NOR and the
UK]
• Countries using a point system to select skills in a demand driven system
AUT, CZE, JPN and the UK [possibly the US]
• Other policy changes International students (All), Investors (AUS, CAN, IRL etc.),
temporary workers (CAN, AUS)
Paradoxes and future challenges
in the global competition for talents
The integration paradox
More and more high-educated migrants
Large under-use of
migrants’ skill
RFQ may pay off but few
migrants get it
Difference in employment rate of foreign- and native-born populations by educational level, 2009-10, 15-64 (excluding persons still in education)
Source : OECD (2012), Settling In: OECD Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2012
Overqualification of migrants aged 15+ in OECD countries, by origin countries’ income group, 2000 and 2005/06
Source: Dumont JC. And S. Widmaier (2011) , OECD SEM Working Paper 126
The labour market paradox
Policy focus on the best
and the brightest
Most skill needs are observed at
intermediate level
Percentages of German employers who reported unfilled vacancies at the respective skill level, out of all employers with unfilled vacancies, by
company size and skill level, 2011
Source: OECD (2013), Recruiting immigrants. Germany
The migration policy paradox
Countries are
competing for talents
Benchmarking
convergence of migration
policies
Less impact more role
for employers
Still few of them try to recruit directly abroad In practice, employers hire
migrants who are already in the country.
Distribution of skill levels by reason for migrating, recent non-EU migrants, Southern Europe and Northern and Western Europe, 2008.
Future challenges
Respond to skill needs
Promote skill dev. and
utilisation of existing skills
vs. ease international recruitment
Adopt a workable selection
criteria for skills which
corresponds to the “real needs”
Ensure equal access for SMEs
to foreign skilled labour
Attract and retain foreign
students
Courses in international vs.
national languages
Facilitate work during studies and transition vs. integrity of
the system
Tuition fees
Compete with a larger pool of
potential destination countries
Selection vs. attractiveness (e.g. time/cost, visa facilitation, RFQ, spouses)
Increase policy focus on
harnessing the skills of the
Diaspora
International mobility of skills vs. brain drain
Thank you for your attention
For further information: www.oecd.org/migration
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