New trends of the EU post-enlargement migration

from Latvia

Zaiga Krisjane, Elina Apsite and Maris BerzinsUniversity of Latvia

Migratory processes in Europe: evolution of the migratory interactions of the EU and Central and Eastern European countries

Odessa 24-25.09.2010

Presentation outline• Theoretical frame• Data and methods• Migration waves from Latvia• Latvian migrants in the UK and Ireland• Characteristics of the latest phase of

migration• Conclusions

Purpose

• to investigate the migration processes that have unfolded since the EU enlargement in Latvia, in particular has been analyze the situation since economic recession in 2008.

Theoretical frame

• Among possibilities to earn higher salaries also push factors often are mentioned - dissatisfaction with living and working conditions in home country (Galgoczi et al. 2009).

• However segmented labour – market theory by Piore (1979) argues that migration is not caused by push factors in sending regions (low wages or high unemployment), but by pull factors in receiving areas (a chronic and unavoidable need for migrant workers) (Massey 2004).

Main features of post-enlargement migrants

• There are a rising number of new researches on migration studies from the new member states.

• Many studies state that the majority of post-enlargement migrants have found employment in low paid jobs, despite some possessing relatively high levels of education and are not accessing higher-skilled occupations (Drinkwater et al. 2009; Barett & Duffy 2008).

• Results of the research suggest a temporary character of labour migration.

Migration waves from Latvia

– Transition period (After regaining independency and before EU accessions)

– After the EU enlargement

– Global economic crisis

Each stage has different migration volume, intensity, flows and main destinations

After the EU enlargement(Krisjane et al. 2009)

• Latvia, which used to be a receiving country for migrants, has become the sending country.

• There are changes of traditional migration flow pattern. Many migrants previous from rural areas went to larger cities then to capital for job. Nowadays they could go strait aboard for work.

Migration during recession

• Decision to migrate and consequently to stay abroad or return is not just reached on the basis of economic considerations there has been a growing interest in the role of social networks in facilitating transnational migration (Faist & Ozveren 2004).

• Eastern Europeans and particularly Latvians) traditionally have relied heavily on informal networks of all kinds.

Registered unemployment rate in Latvia 2004-2009 (%) (LR CSB, 2009)

Data and methods

The research “The geographical mobility of labour force” (2007) has involved qualitative and quantitative research methods:• surveys of Latvian residents, • formalised interviews with residents of

Latvia who are working abroad, • statistical analysis of the data

Economic motivations were of key importance to labour migrants, particularly in terms of the ability to earn more money. Wages were the dominant motivation for migration in all age groups.

Reasons for working abroad, by gender (Krisjane et al. 2007)

Country

Motivation

Most important reason Second reason Third reason

UK Better wages than elsewhere

Employer sent me; job offered in my

area of specialisation;

career opportunities

Spoke/wanted to learn the language

Ireland Better wages than elsewhere

People already there recommended

it

Relatives, friends lived there; family

circumstances

Sweden

Employer offered job; been there before; no real

reason

Employer sent me; job offered in my

area of specialisation;

career opportunities

Better wages than elsewhere

Non Parametric test for worked migrants in the UK and Ireland

(calculated from The geographical mobility of labour force)

Education of respondents who had worked in the UK and Ireland

(calculated from The geographical mobility of labour force)

Education UK Ireland

Primary or lower 11,0 26,0

General secondary 26,3 28,0

Specialised secondary

34,7 37,5

Higher 28,0 7,8

Total 100.0 100.0

Areas of employment abroad,% of mentioned jobs

(calculated from The geographical mobility of labour force)

Employment UK Ireland

Various kinds of sales and catering work 9,5 4,8

Various kinds of industrial work 6,0 7,9

Various jobs in the service sector 20,7 15,9

Baby-sitting 4,3 1,6

Various kinds of building work 11,2 19,0

Various kinds of agricultural work 28,4 25,4

Managers and Professionals 3,4 6,2

Other 7,0 1,7

No answers 9,5 17,5

0

1 000

2 000

3 000

4 000

5 000

6 000

7 000

8 000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Jan - Mar

Apr - Jun

Jul - Sept

Oct - Dec

Latvian residents NINo registrations in the UK2002-2009

(http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/nino_alloc_summ_tables_feb10.xls)

Personal Public Service (PPS) Numbers allocated to Latvians by years in Ireland

1,046

3,023

1,538

1,230

6,266

9,328

7,954

4,674

3,727

3,916

1,102

0,0 2,0 4,0 6,0 8,0 10,0

2000 (jun - dec)

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010 (jan - apr)

Thsd

Reflection on recession migration flows from Latvia to the UK and Ireland

3 023

1 538

1 230

6 266

9 328

7 954

4 674

3 727

3 916

360

580

3 700

13 500

11 420

9 320

7 960

20 110

0 5 000 10 000 15 000 20 000 25 000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Lielbritānija Īrija

Migration during recession

• Currently migration wave from Latvia seems irreversable, because people are unable to find employment in Latvia and stay with their friends and relatives who are already living abroad (Hazans 2010)

Characteristics of the latest phase of migration Main destinations (%) (LR CSB LFS)

2007 2008

1.UK 39.1 1. UK 45,6

2. Ireland 31,9 2. Ireland 22,6

3. Germany 4,9 3. Norway 5,3

4. Norway 4,5 4. Germany 5

5. Russia 3,0 5. Russia 3,9

Employment status of migrants in Latvia (LR CSB, 2008, 2009)

Characteristics of the latest phase of migrationDemographic characteristics

The age structure of Latvian residents registered in the UK National Insurance Number Allocations, 2004-2009 (%)

(Department for Work and Pensions 2010)

<18 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60<

2004-20071.0 43.2 29.4 15.0 9.6 1.5 0.3

20081.9 44.6 27.5 13.9 9.4 2.0 0.6

20091.3 43.9 31.2 13.7 8.0 1.3 0.6

Characteristics of the latest phase of migration

• Several studies conducted in 2010 shows that the dominant motivation for emigration continues to be the desire to earn more money or to save for a specific goal.

• There have been an increasing number of survey respondents, however, those who simply says that they were unable to find work in Latvia.

• Respondents have been more willing recently than in the past to work at manual jobs just to earn a bit more money.

Based on survey and interview results we could find the following main common characteristics (profile) for the Latvian migrants after EU accession:

• Latvian migrants are mostly attracted by economic pull factors.

• The majority of the out-migrants from Latvia belong to the young adult category of the population.

• Latvian migrants have medium skills level and were concentrated in relatively low-skilled sectors

• In all respondent groups there were persons who wanted to return to Latvia, but almost none of them could define time frame.

Conclusions

• Latvian migrants are mostly attracted by economical pull factors.

• The majority of the out-migrants from Latvia belong to the young adult category of the population.

• Latvian migrants have medium skill levels and were concentrated in relatively low-skilled sectors

• In all respondent groups there are decreasing number of persons who want to return to Latvia.

• Due to recent economical crisis since beginning of 2009 interest of emigration possibilities among Latvians to the UK has even grown.

Conclusions

• The employment-related factors were found to be most important for the first post-EU accession migration wave.

• The greatest challenge facing last wave migrants will be to remain abroad only temporarily or make the move permanent.

Conclusions

Thank you for your attention!

zaiga.krisjane@lu.lvelina.apsite@inbox.lvmaris.berzins@lu.lv