International Migrant Workers and Their Global Impact

Source: The post International Migrant Workers and Their Global Impact has been created, based on the article “What did the ILO report state about international migrants?” published in “The Hindu” on 20th January 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2-Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. Ans GSPaper1-population and associated issues

Context: The fourth edition of Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers was released by the International Labour Organization (ILO). It highlights migrants’ contributions to global economic growth. The report focuses on labor market participation, gender gaps, and key employment sectors. It also discusses their concentration in high-income nations.

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What is the contribution of international migrants to the global economy?

1. International migrants (IMs) contribute significantly to world economic growth.
2. They address labor market shortages in host countries and send remittances to their home countries.
3. In 2022, IMs made up 4.7% (167.7 million) of the global labor force, an increase of over 30 million since 2013.

How many international migrants are employed and unemployed?

1. Out of the 167.7 million IMs in the labor force in 2022, 155.6 million were employed, while 12.1 million were unemployed.
2. The share of IM men in global employment was 4.7%, while IM women accounted for 4.4%. Between 2019-2022, annual growth slowed to less than 1%, partly due to the pandemic.

What is the gender and age distribution of international migrants?

1. A higher proportion of IM males were employed (61.3% of 102.7 million) compared to females (38.7% of 64.9 million).
2. Although women’s participation has steadily increased since 2015, they remain a smaller portion of the IM population.
3. Prime-age adults (25-54 years) made up 74.9% (125.6 million) of IM workers. Young IMs (15-24 years) were 9.3%, while those aged 55-64 years were 12.5%.

Which sectors attract the most international migrants?

1. Services Sector: Attracted 68.4% of international migrants (IMs) in 2022. Women IMs dominated this sector at 80.7%, compared to 60.8% for men.
2. Industry Sector: IMs accounted for 24.3%, slightly higher than non-migrants (24.2%).
3. Agriculture Sector: Only 7.4% of IMs worked in agriculture, far lower than non-migrants (24.3%).
4. IMs consistently dominate the services sector, especially in care work, across high-income countries.

Which countries host the most international migrants?

1. High-Income Countries: These host the largest number of international migrants (IMs), accounting for 68.4% (114 million). Many work in the services sector, especially in care-related jobs.
2. Upper-Middle-Income Countries: They host 17.4% (29.2 million) of IMs, a much smaller but significant share.
3. Europe: Northern, southern, and western Europe had 23.3% of IM workers in 2022, showing slight growth since 2013.
4. North America: It hosted 22.6% of IMs, showing a decline compared to a decade earlier.
5. Arab States: These hosted 13.3% of IM workers in 2022, a decrease of three percentage points since 2013.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the contribution of international migrants to the global economy, considering their labor force participation, employment distribution, and remittances.