Migration und Arbeitsmarkt - Steuerung und Arbeitsmarktwirkungen der Zuwanderung und Arbeitsmarktintegration von Migranten in Rheinland-Pfalz

Abstract

"This expert's report provides beyond an assessment on the future scale of migration to Germany and Rhineland-Palatinate an assessment of the skill composition of the immigrant population, the effects of immigration on wages and employment, the integration of immigrants into the labour market and the impact of immigration policies on the skill composition of the immigrant population. The poor labour market integration of immigrants is a key challenge for the German economy and society. The causes can be traced back the skill structure of the immigrant population, the high concentration of immigrants in few occupations, which are characterized by low wages and high unemployment risks, and limited language proficiency. There is convincing empirical evidence that immigration policies have a considerable impact on the skill composition of the immigrant population. For the regulation of immigration there exist several policy options: From an international perspective, we can distinguish so-called 'supply-driven' systems, which focus on the human capital characteristics of immigrants and allocate points to criteria such as occupation, education, age, language proficiency and country-specific experiences and qualifications, from so-called 'demand-driven' systems, which focus on the current demand of employers in receiving countries. Examples for the first type of immigration policies are Australia, Canada and New Zealand, for the second type the H1B visa pro-gram in the USA. While these countries tempt to pursue consistent immigration policies, immigration policies in the EU and Germany are characterized by many inconsistencies. The EU has created with the Common Market an economic area with free labour mobility. This is unique in the world. However, immigration policies vis-à-vis third-country nationals remain in the domain of national policies. The EU 'Bluecard' initiative is a first step in the direction of a harmonized immigration policy vis-à-vis third-country immigrants. Since the competition for qualified and highly qualified workers will increase in the future, it is recommended to coordinate German immigration policies with those of other important destination countries in the EU. In general, it is very unlikely that the reforms of German immigration policies in the 2000s will have any substantial impact on the skill structure of the new arrivals and the immigrant population in Germany. This would require a fundamental reform of immigration policies in Germany, which uses both supply-side and demand-side tools for improving the skill composition of the immigrant workforce and better conditions for the integration of immigrants into the labour market. Inter alia, the following policy measures are needed: Reducing the income ceiling for highly qualified and qualified migrants, the fast acknowledgement of educational degrees, and, under the precondition of an existing job offer, the opening of labour markets for immigrants with a university or qualified vocational training degree in occupations and regions where unemployment is either not existing or disproportionally low. Moreover, point systems for the allocation of residence and work permits should be tested. It is recommended that the allocation of residence and work permits under a point system requires also a job offer. The mechanisms of immigration policies have to be monitored with respect to their effects on the labour market and the labour market integration of immigrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Brücker, H. (2010): Migration und Arbeitsmarkt - Steuerung und Arbeitsmarktwirkungen der Zuwanderung und Arbeitsmarktintegration von Migranten in Rheinland-Pfalz. Anhörung von Sachverständigen vor der Enquete-Kommission 15/2 "Integration und Migration in Rheinland-Pfalz" am 4. Mai 2010. (IAB-Stellungnahme 03/2010), Nürnberg, 26 p.