You Don't Want to Work Abroad in These Wealthy Countries

In a report measuring quality of opportunities, inclusiveness, and other immigration factors, the Czech Republic ranks as one of the least attractive countries for foreign workers in the OECD. One of the largest factors deterring immigrants may be the poor job market for foreign-born workers. Some 9.8% of them are employed in low-skilled occupations, nearly twice the 5.2% share of native-born workers who are employed in low-skilled occupations.

The Czech Republic is one of several Eastern European countries where anti-immigrant rhetoric associated with a newly elected nationalist government may be scaring off talented foreign workers. In a recent survey by the Czech Public Opinion Research Centre, roughly 70% of Czechs stated that the Czech Republic should not accept refugees from war-torn countries in 2017, an increase from 50% in 2015.

One factor deterring immigrants from finding work in Iceland may be the lack of opportunities for foreign workers there . While 51.4% of native Icelanders work in high-skilled jobs, for example, only 37.0% of foreign-born residents do — one of the largest disparities of any OECD country.

A recent investigation by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service found that foreign workers in Iceland are more likely to be exploited than locals, particularly in the tourism industry. In one instance cited in the report, foreign workers were regularly working 220 hours per month for less than minimum wage, while paying 50,000 ISK ($400) to share a room with up to nine other workers.

Hungary ranks as one of the least attractive countries for foreign workers in the OECD. One factor deterring foreign nationals from seeking work in Hungary may be the strict immigration policies imposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán’s government has erected barriers to immigration, both legal and physical, including limits on work permits and a razor-wire fences along its border with Serbia and Croatia. According to local observers, restrictions on immigration have stoked anti-immigrant sentiment in the country. Foreign-born residents currently constitute just 2.2% of the working-age population in Hungary, one of the smallest shares of any country in the OECD.

While some 13.1% of the native-born working-age population in Latvia has a bachelor’s degree or equivalent level of education, just 8.1% of the foreign-born working-age population do — one of the largest disparities of any country with available data. Similarly, while 41.4% of native workers are employed in high-skilled jobs, such as managers, professionals, and technicians, just 33.7% of foreign-born workers are.

Foreign workers in Latvia are also likely to encounter discrimination and unfair treatment. According to a May 2019 report published in the open access volume The Emigrant Communities of Latvia, one in three Latvian migrant workers have experienced discrimination at work, and one in five report being paid less than their native-born coworkers for similar work.

In a report measuring quality of life, inclusiveness, and other pull factors for immigrants, Poland ranks as one of the least attractive countries in the OECD. One factor deterring potential migrants may be the poor job market for foreign workers. Some 4.7% of Poland’s foreign labor force is unemployed, far more than the 3.9% unemployment rate for the native labor force.

Similar to what’s happening in nearby Hungary, anti-immigrant rhetoric stemming from the nationalist Law and Justice party, which came to power in Poland in 2015, may also discourage foreigners from moving there. Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński, for example, has made frequent outspoken pronouncements against Muslim migrants. Foreign-born residents now constitute just 0.9% of the working-age population in Poland, the second smallest share of any OECD country.

As in many OECD nations, one factor that may deter foreign workers from migrating to Chile may be anti-immigrant sentiment associated with a recent spike in immigration. According to a survey by the National Institute of Human Rights, 68% of Chileans want to restrict immigration, and nearly half believe that immigrants take jobs from locals.

One of the most targeted groups are immigrants from Haiti. Haitians make up the sixth-largest foreign-born population in Chile, after Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Argentina. Reports of anti-Haitian sentiment have risen in conjunction with an influx of Haitian immigrants. In November 2018, the Chilean government began offering Haitians a free one-way ticket back to Haiti, flying two plane loads of Haitian immigrants home.

One factor deterring potential migrants from Italy may be the lack of quality job opportunities for foreign-born workers. While 10.3% of native-born Italians are unemployed, 13.7% of the foreign-born labor force in Italy are — one of the larger disparities of any OECD country. Additionally, while 40.1% of native-born workers are employed in high-skilled positions such as managers, professionals, and technicians, just 13.6% of foreign-born workers are — the largest disparity of any OECD country other than Greece.

Italy also grants fewer foreign work permits per capita than any other European Union nation. According to a report by the Italian think tank Leone Moressa Foundation, Italy issued 0.23 permits to immigrants for every 1,000 existing residents in 2018, a fraction of the EU average of 2.24.

In 2016, Israel immigration authorities introduced stricter criteria for obtaining work permits. Permit recipients must now earn at least twice the average salary in Israel, and are required to receive their salary in an Israeli bank account, when the job does not require academic certification. Also, foreign workers employed in jobs that do not require academic certification are not permitted to request permits for their dependent family members.

In addition to the difficult immigration process, potential workers may be deterred from the lack of high-skilled jobs for foreign nationals in Israel. While 41.6% of native-born workers in Israel work in low- to medium-skilled jobs, 51.5% of foreign-born workers do. This represents one of the largest disparities of any OECD nation.

In a report measuring quality of life, inclusiveness, and other pull factors for immigrants, Greece ranks as one of the least attractive countries for foreign workers in the OECD. One factor deterring potential migrants from Greece may be the lack of advanced job opportunities for foreign workers. While 31.6% of native-born workers in Greece are employed in high-skilled occupations, just 9.7% of foreign-born workers are — the largest disparity of any OECD nation. Additionally, while 18.6% of the native-born labor force is unemployed, 28.6% of the foreign-born labor force is — each the largest such share of any OECD country, and one of the largest disparities.

Mexico is one of the most restrictive countries in the OECD for foreign workers. Under the Federal Labour Law, businesses are required to keep foreign workers to less than 10% of their total workforce. Heavy restrictions may deter some potential immigrants from seeking work in Mexico. Foreign individuals currently constitute just 0.5% of the working-age population in Mexico, the smallest share of any OECD nation.

Despite the heavy restrictions, foreign workers earn more on average than native workers in Mexico. According to data from the International Labour Organization, the average worker born outside the country earns 8,896 pesos ($460) per month, 2,591 pesos ($135) more than the average native-born worker.

While restrictions on foreign work permits in Turkey have loosened in recent years, the country still has some of the strictest immigration policies of any OECD country. In most sectors, for example, Turkish businesses are required to employ five Turkish citizens for every foreign-born resident. Additionally, refugees cannot exceed 10% of a company’s workforce.

Turkey also has a history of worker’s rights abuses for low-skilled workers. Due to these abuses, which included the murders and arrests of several union leaders in 2018, Turkey ranked as one of the 10 worst countries on the International Trade Union Confederation’s Global RIghts Index. Currently, some 21.1% of foreign-born workers in Turkey are employed in low-skilled industries, more than the 14.4% share for native-born workers and one of the largest shares of any OECD nation.