Labour market access

Results for all 28 MIPEX II countries

See: Labour Market Rankings

The best case

This is a composite of the best policy practices from the MIPEX normative framework of high European standards. Each of these practices was found, as of 1st March 2007, in at least one of the 28 countries.

A migrant worker or entrepreneur is eligible for the same opportunities as EU nationals to work in most sectors. She can count on help from labour market integration measures to adjust to the language and professional demands of the labour market. The state helps her to get her full set of skills and talents recognised, to access training, and to develop language skills that are critical for the job market. Secure in her employment, she can renew most types of work permits and remain living in the country and look for work, if she loses her job. With job security come equal rights for all workers. She is free to change employer, job, industry and work permit categories in order to pursue her professional development. She also has the right to join a trade union.


The worst case
This is a composite of the worst policy practices that MIPEX found, as of 1st March 2007, in at least one of the 28 countries.

In an excluding labour market, a migrant's skills and qualifications from his country of origin are not recognised or are downgraded through an unfair, long and costly procedure. Even if qualified, he is not eligible to work or become self-employed in many sectors, due to government restrictions. Without access to any labour market integration measures, training, or study grants, he faces great difficulty in overcoming language and professional barriers. His status as a worker is insecure. Rigid administrative criteria prohibit him from retaining his work permit if he is fired. Even if a company wants to keep him, these criteria prohibit him from renewing his permit. If he wishes to stay securely in the country, he is bound to his employer, because he is denied the right to change his employer, job, industry, etc.

OBSERVATIONS
Labour market access in the EU-25 is, on average, only halfway to best practice. Migrants are partially eligible and can take up labour market integration measures that go only halfway to best practice. If migrants find jobs, they have slightly favourable security and rights as workers. Most can renew all but seasonal work permits, and participate in trade unions and work-related negotiation bodies. Western Mediterranean countries like ES, IT, PT and Nordic countries like FI, SE, NO scored best overall and on each dimension. Central and Eastern Europe lags substantially behind the rest, particularly on measures and security. 



MIPEX normative framework

  • Lisbon European Council Presidency Conclusions 23 and 24 March 2000
  • Immigration Law Practitioners' Association and the Migration Policy Group, The Amsterdam Proposals: Proposed directive on Admission of migrants, (Brussels, 2000).
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