Towards a common migration policy : potential impact on the EU economy

"There is no simple answer to the question of the potential impact of migration on the EU economy. EU migration policy is expected to meet the requirements of economic and social policy, in particular of the Lisbon Agenda, as well as national cultural, political, strategic and security imperatives. The problem is complicated by different national traditions in social organisation, which are deeply rooted in history and which have resulted in different migration models within the EU. Moreover, what is an issue in its own right is immigration as a tool to counter the negative impact of population ageing on economic growth and the pressure on public funds. Another aspect of migration concerns the internationalisation of production and its contribution to the diversification of the productive structure of the EU and its member states. Further, migration may also contribute to the growth of the informal economy, an aspect of concern in member states with large shares of the informal sector in GDP. Yet another question to be resolved is the role of migration in the flow of trade in goods and services within an enlarged Europe and between the EU (25) and the rest of the world. The distinction between migration and trade in services (mode 4) is important for judging the impact on the labour market, as the regulatory mechanisms differ. The paper addresses all the above issues. As with employment, education and social policies, a common understanding about the impact of various possible routes of migration policies on the societies of the member states has to be obtained before entering a process of policy coordination towards eventual convergence. The paper focuses on ways in which different policies on various categories of migration - labour migration, family reunification, refugee and asylum-seeker intake - and the free movement of service providers can differentially impact the EU economy, calling for a complex mix of policy interventions to address the various socio-economic challenges emanating from them." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))Wanderungspolitik, Einwanderungspolitik, europäische Integration, Wirtschaftsentwicklung, Wirtschaftspolitik, Sozialpolitik, demografischer Wandel, Altersstruktur, Bevölkerungsstruktur, Produktion - Internationalisierung, EU-Binnenmarkt, Gütermarkt, Liberalisierung, Außenhandel, Dienstleistungen, Schattenwirtschaft, Arbeitsmigration, Familiennachzug, Asylpolitik, Flüchtlinge, EU-Osterweiterung, Arbeitsmarkt, Integrationspolitik, Europäische Union

Migrant Women and Youth: The Challenge of Labour Market Integration

The integration of migrant women and youth into the labour market depends upon institutional ramifications (in particular the immigration regime, the welfare model and the education system), on supply factors (in particular the educational attainment level and occupational skills, language competence, ethnic origin and the proximity to the ethnic cultural identity of the host country), and demand factors (in particular the composition by economic sectors, the division of work between the household, the informal and the market sector and the economic and technological development level)

Gender and the Labour Market: Comparing Austria and Japan

Japan and Austria are among the OECD countries with an average labour force participation rate but an above average gender gap as far as employment opportunities and earnings are concerned. In Japan, women in the main working age have a fairly large margin of labour resources not employed in the market economy. In Austria in contrast, the proportion of unused labour resources of mature workers is high, and the gender gap is less pronounced than in Japan, which suggests that a different combination of policies is called for to promote economic and employment growth in the face of an ageing society

Development of the Distribution of Household Income in Austria

This paper puts emphasis on the earnings development at the lower end of the earnings distribution and its development over time. The main objective is to provide more insight into the mechanism of impoverishment and marginalisation of various groups of people as well as the dynamics

Arbeitsmarktindikatoren: Definition und Erhebung nach nationaler und EU-Methode

Die statistische Beobachtung und Darstellung des Arbeitsmarktgeschehens zählt zu den grundlegenden Aufgaben des Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich. Gerade die Messung bzw. Ermittlung von Erwerbs-, Beschäftigungs- oder Arbeitslosenquoten und die dafür verwendeten Indikatoren stehen immer wieder im Brennpunkt heftiger Diskussionen. Das Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitut (WIFO) in Wien führte im Auftrag der Bundesgeschäftsstelle des AMS Österreich eine umfassende Analyse dieser Problematik durch. Ergebnisse und Aussagen dieser Analyse sind Gegenstand des vorliegenden AMS reports, wobei den unterschiedlichen Erhebungskonzepten der Arbeitsmarktstatistik besonderes Augenmerk zukommt

Immigration: The Potential Impact on EU Society

There is no simple answer to the question of the potential impact of migration on EU society. EU migration policy is expected to meet the requirements of economic and social policy, in particular of the Lisbon Agenda, as well as national cultural, political, strategic and security imperatives. The problem is complicated by different national traditions in social organisation, which are deeply rooted in history and which resulted in different migration models within the EU. As with employment, educational and social policy issues, the need to reach a common understanding about possible routes to eventual convergence, will call for coordination of the migration policies of the Member States (MS). Moreover, an issue in its own right is immigration as a tool to counter the negative impact of population ageing on economic growth and the pressure on public funds. While we know that immigration alone cannot solve the problem of population ageing, it can be an important policy instrument, complementary to other measures to raise the activity rate of older persons, and of prime age women. Its impact will depend on the level, composition and duration of inflows as well as the necessary measures which are to form an integral part of migration policy. Another aspect of migration concerns the internationalisation of production and its contribution to the diversification of the productive structure of the EU and its member states. Thus migrants impact on the supply side - the production potential of the economy - as well as on the demand side - the level and composition of consumption. Further, migration may also contribute to the growth of the informal economy, an aspect of concern in MS with high shares of the informal sector in GDP ..

The European Employment Strategy. A New Form of Governance of Labour Markets in the European Union

The European Employment Strategy (EES) has been put in place in order to ensure the survival of the European Social Model in view of institutional change resulting from the introduction of the European Monetary System. It has become the platform of a method of open coordination of social and employment policy. It represents a new method of governance through soft law, as the traditional governance scheme of binding directives failed to find acceptance among member countries in core areas of national policy development and implementation

Family Policy in Austria in Comparison: How to Reach Sustainability?

Family policy is getting increasing public policy attention in the EU as a result of population ageing and the challenge of the sustainability of economic growth. It is being recognised that a sustainable rise in the fertility rate is needed in order to put a break on population ageing. Immigration can postpone but not stem the tide of ageing. In consequence, research into the reasons for the decline in the fertility rate and the role of public policy in promoting fertility gain momentum. There is growing evidence that social and economic policies do have an important role to play in raising fertility. Properly devised, they allow a better balance of market and family work and raise the propensity to invest in higher education and training, thereby furthering the sustainability of economic growth and wellbeing of the society