Migration presents a stark policy dilemma. Research repeatedly confirms that migrants, their families back home, and the countries that welcome them experience large economic and social gains. Easing immigration restrictions is one of the most effective tools for ending poverty and sharing prosperity across the globe. Yet, we see widespread opposition in destination countries, where migrants are depicted as the primary cause of many of their economic problems, from high unemployment to declining social services. Moving for Prosperity: Global Migration and Labor Markets addresses this dilemma. In addition to providing comprehensive data and empirical analysis of migration patterns and their impact, the report argues for a series of policies that work with, rather than against, labor market forces. Policy makers should aim to ease short-run dislocations and adjustment costs so that the substantial long-term benefits are shared more evenly. Only then can we avoid draconian migration restrictions that will hurt everybody. Moving for Prosperity aims to inform and stimulate policy debate, facilitate further research, and identify prominent knowledge gaps. It demonstrates why existing income gaps, demographic differences, and rapidly declining transportation costs mean that global mobility will continue to be a key feature of our lives for generations to come. Its audience includes anyone interested in one of the most controversial policy debates of our time.

Expectations are running high for significant outcomes on the temporary movement of natural persons to supply services – known as mode 4 – in the current WTO services negotiations. This report considers the questions involved.

One of the primary objectives of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), established in 2015, was to boost skilled labor mobility within the region. This insightful book takes stock of the existing trends and patterns of skilled labor migration in the ASEAN. It endeavors to identify the likely winners and losers from the free movement of natural persons within the region through counterfactual policy simulations. Finally, it discusses existing issues and obstacles through case studies, as well as other sectoral examples.

World Migration 2008 focuses on the labour mobility of people in today's evolving global economy. It provides policy findings and practical options with a view to making labour migration more effective and equitable and to maximizing the benefits of labour migration for all stakeholders concerned. The report also analyses migration flows, stocks and trends and surveys current migration developments in the major regions of the world.

This publication attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of the impact on trade, development and poverty reduction brought about by global labour movement and integration. It attempts to answer the question as to how temporary labour mobility can be better managed so as to contribute to improving peoples livelihood as welfare prospects while at the same time moving closer to achieving of internationally agreed development goals, in particular the UN Millennium Development Goals.

This paper, published as part of the ESCAP series Studies in Trade and Investment, explores the linkages between trade, labour mobility and development in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper moves from an analysis of recent trends in regional labour mobility through an examination of the connections between trade, migration and development. Finally it considers how migration could be better governed at the multilateral, regional and bilateral levels. A central theme of the paper is that, when properly governed, labour mobility can deliver large and sustained development gains. Improving cross-border labour market access, particularly for people from developing countries, therefore needs higher prioritization by regional policymakers. At the same time, the concerns of receiving country populations around higher levels of immigration also need to be addressed. Striking this balance will require, in particular, the expansion and further adoption of co-operative agreements between sending and receiving countries which provide labour market access in return for more cooperation in migration management and enforcement.

This Handbook focuses on the complexity surrounding the interaction between trade, labour mobility and development, taking into consideration social, economic and human rights implications, and identifies mechanisms for lawful movements across borders and their practical implementation.

An increasing number of landings of illegal migrants on the coast of Italy and Spain, but also the recent riots, car-burnings, and street battles that occurred all across France and that have been attributed to the migrant community, seem to indicate that migration is likely to stay high on the European policy agenda for some time. The flow of migrants from poor to rich countries does not, however, constitute a typically European problem. V. S. public policy has also been facing a continued (legal and illegal) inflow of labor from different regions, notably Mexico and other Latin American countries. And similar developments in other advanced countries (Australia, Canada) as weil as in selected fast-growing emerging markets in Eastern Europe and East Asia imply that these countries too are being compelled to adjust their public policies in order to relieve migratory pressures and deal with their consequences. The world economy already saw rising cross-border labor flows in the 1990s and most forecasts predict that South-North and South-South migration will re main at relatively high levels over the next decades and possibly even turn into a major global challenge for policy makers in the 21st century.

This 1999 volume investigates the link between trade and factor mobility, particularly labour migration, from theoretical and empirical perspectives.