labour mobility

Labour mobility

The migration from home country and a host country for the purpose of work.

Migrant worker

A person who moves to another country for work; there are an estimated 169 million migrant workers globally.

Free movement of people

A policy in the European Union allowing individuals to move to any member country for work.

Undocumented workers

Migrants without legal permission to work, often employed in the informal work sector.

Positives for host country

Supply of cheap labour, filling job shortages, and contributing to government revenue through taxes.

Negatives for host country

Perceptions of job loss for locals, wage suppression, and increased demand on housing and infrastructure.

Positives for source country

Reduced burden on local services and economic benefits from remittances sent home by migrant workers.

Negatives for source country

Brain drain and loss of tax revenue as skilled workers migrate to other countries.

Gender breakdown of migrant workers

Of the estimated 169 million migrant workers, 99 million are male and 70 million are female.

Service sector employment

The majority of migrant workers are employed in services such as construction, security, cleaning, and retail.