ILO study finds migrants earn much less than locals, and the gap is widening
The gap between wages paid to migrant and national workers is big and growing, and may widen further because of the pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Monday.
The report, “The migrant pay gap: Understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals”, examined 49 countries that host half the world’s migrant workers and found that migrants were earning nearly 13 per cent less on average.
“What our report shows is that even before COVID-19 migrant workers suffered significant inequality and treatment in terms of wages. And we know that the wage gap not only has widened in the past few years, but migrants continue to be the subject of discrimination during this pandemic”, said Michelle Leighton, chief of ILO’s Labour Migration Branch.
Women suffer double discrimination
In some cases the gap could be explained by objective factors such as education, skills and experience, but otherwise discrimination was the main reason why migrants earned less, she said at a press conference held to present the findings of the report.
“Therefore tackling discrimination and prejudices that are deeply entrenched in the workplace and our society is more important than ever. And addressing the migrant pay gap is not only a matter of social justice, but it’s also important to reduce inequalities between women and men to reduce income inequalities between households”, Ms. Leighton said.
Women migrants often worked in domestic or care jobs, facing a double dose of wage discrimination, as they earned less than nationals and less than male migrants on average.
The wage gap was highest in Cyprus, at 42 per cent, Italy at 30 per cent and Austria at 25 percent. For the European Union as a whole it was less than the global average, at under 9 per cent.
In high-income countries, migrants were often in precarious work, with 27 per cent on temporary contracts and 15 per cent working part time, and they tended to work in agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, quarrying, manufacturing, energy and water utilities or construction.
But in poorer countries, where migrants tended to be skilled workers from richer countries who were sent on temporary work assignments, the pay gap was inverted, with migrants earning about 17.3 per cent more per hour than locals.
The ILO team examined the impact of the pandemic on migrants in two countries: the United States and Mexico. Both countries suffered an initial surge in unemployment. When that surge subsided, many migrants in the United States were replaced by informal workers and remained unemployed, while in Mexico migrant workers found new jobs but at lower wages.
Earlier this month ILO Director-General Guy Ryder predicted that the world was facing a long and hard road back from the pandemic, which had struck the world of work “an extraordinary blow” almost overnight.
ILO wage specialist Rosalia Vasquez-Alvarez said women were more likely to work in sectors that were hardest hit by the pandemic, such as trade, manufacturing, private health and the gig economy. High income economies were expected to suffer a huge wage depression in the next few months, she said.
“Overall, we expect a depression in wages that may actually have a bigger impact among migrant workers”, Ms. Vasquez-Alvarez said.
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Skip to main content ILO study finds migrants earn much less than locals, and the gap is widening IOM/Muse Mohammed Tents have been provided for migrants in Beirut, Lebanon, who no longer have a place to live. 14 December 2020 Migrants and Refugees The gap between wages paid to migrant and national workers is big and growing, and may widen further because of the pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Monday. The report, “The migrant pay gap: Understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals”, examined 49 countries that host half the world’s migrant workers and found that migrants were earning nearly 13 per cent less on average. “What our report shows is that even before COVID-19 migrant workers suffered significant inequality and treatment in terms of wages. And we know that the wage gap not only has widened in the past few years, but migrants continue to be the subject of discrimination during this pandemic”, said Michelle Leighton, chief of ILO’s Labour Migration Branch. Women suffer double discrimination In some cases the gap could be explained by objective factors such as education, skills and experience, but otherwise discrimination was the main reason why migrants earned less, she said at a press conference held to present the findings of the report. “Therefore tackling discrimination and prejudices that are deeply entrenched in the workplace and our society is more important than ever. And addressing the migrant pay gap is not only a matter of social justice, but it’s also important to reduce inequalities between women and men to reduce income inequalities between households”, Ms. Leighton said. Women migrants often worked in domestic or care jobs, facing a double dose of wage discrimination, as they earned less than nationals and less than male migrants on average. The wage gap was highest in Cyprus, at 42 per cent, Italy at 30 per cent and Austria at 25 percent. For the European Union as a whole it was less than the global average, at under 9 per cent. In high-income countries, migrants were often in precarious work, with 27 per cent on temporary contracts and 15 per cent working part time, and they tended to work in agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, quarrying, manufacturing, energy and water utilities or construction. But in poorer countries, where migrants tended to be skilled workers from richer countries who were sent on temporary work assignments, the pay gap was inverted, with migrants earning about 17.3 per cent more per hour than locals. ILO/Marcel Crozet A Bangladeshi garment worker is seen standing in the room she shares with other seven colleagues in a factory dormitory in Jordan. Pandemic impact The ILO team examined the impact of the pandemic on migrants in two countries: the United States and Mexico. Both countries suffered an initial surge in unemployment. When that surge subsided, many migrants in the United States were replaced by informal workers and remained unemployed, while in Mexico migrant workers found new jobs but at lower wages. Earlier this month ILO Director-General Guy Ryder predicted that the world was facing a long and hard road back from the pandemic, which had struck the world of work “an extraordinary blow” almost overnight. ILO wage specialist Rosalia Vasquez-Alvarez said women were more likely to work in sectors that were hardest hit by the pandemic, such as trade, manufacturing, private health and the gig economy. High income economies were expected to suffer a huge wage depression in the next few months, she said. “Overall, we expect a depression in wages that may actually have a bigger impact among migrant workers”, Ms. Vasquez-Alvarez said. ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox – Subscribe here to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices. PAY GAP|ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES|COVID-19|CORONAVIRUS|DISCRIMINATION LISTEN TO UN RADIO INTERVIEWS 5’14” Dozens of migrants die in shipping container on lorry in Moz… RELATED STORIES No time to take ‘foot off the pedal’ as coronavirus pandemic worsens: WHO Still ‘a long way to go’ in coronavirus battle, WHO chief warns New guidance for protecting migrant workers during the coronavirus pandemic NEWS TRACKER: PAST STORIES ON THIS ISSUE More uprooted, fewer return, pushing forcibly displaced above 80 million 9 December 2020Migrants and Refugees The number of people forcibly displaced around the world has doubled in the past decade and is estimated to have passed 80 million in mid-2020, as few could go home and more were uprooted, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a report published on Wednesday. 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RESOURCES Navigate the News Information for Broadcasters UN System Links Media Alert UN Journal Meetings Coverage Audiovisual Library SECRETARY-GENERAL All Statements Official Travels Press Encounters SG Twitter SPOKESPERSON’S OFFICE Latest Statements Briefing Highlights Briefing Transcripts Notes to Correspondents FIND US UN News App Facebook Twitter YouTube RSS Contact UN News UNITED NATIONS A-Z Site IndexCopyrightFAQFraud AlertPrivacy NoticeTerms of Use Skip to main content ILO study finds migrants earn much less than locals, and the gap is widening IOM/Muse Mohammed Tents have been provided for migrants in Beirut, Lebanon, who no longer have a place to live. 14 December 2020 Migrants and Refugees The gap between wages paid to migrant and national workers is big and growing, and may widen further because of the pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Monday. The report, “The migrant pay gap: Understanding wage differences between migrants and nationals”, examined 49 countries that host half the world’s migrant workers and found that migrants were earning nearly 13 per cent less on average. “What our report shows is that even before COVID-19 migrant workers suffered significant inequality and treatment in terms of wages. And we know that the wage gap not only has widened in the past few years, but migrants continue to be the subject of discrimination during this pandemic”, said Michelle Leighton, chief of ILO’s Labour Migration Branch. Women suffer double discrimination In some cases the gap could be explained by objective factors such as education, skills and experience, but otherwise discrimination was the main reason why migrants earned less, she said at a press conference held to present the findings of the report. “Therefore tackling discrimination and prejudices that are deeply entrenched in the workplace and our society is more important than ever. And addressing the migrant pay gap is not only a matter of social justice, but it’s also important to reduce inequalities between women and men to reduce income inequalities between households”, Ms. Leighton said. Women migrants often worked in domestic or care jobs, facing a double dose of wage discrimination, as they earned less than nationals and less than male migrants on average. The wage gap was highest in Cyprus, at 42 per cent, Italy at 30 per cent and Austria at 25 percent. For the European Union as a whole it was less than the global average, at under 9 per cent. In high-income countries, migrants were often in precarious work, with 27 per cent on temporary contracts and 15 per cent working part time, and they tended to work in agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, quarrying, manufacturing, energy and water utilities or construction. But in poorer countries, where migrants tended to be skilled workers from richer countries who were sent on temporary work assignments, the pay gap was inverted, with migrants earning about 17.3 per cent more per hour than locals. ILO/Marcel Crozet A Bangladeshi garment worker is seen standing in the room she shares with other seven colleagues in a factory dormitory in Jordan. Pandemic impact The ILO team examined the impact of the pandemic on migrants in two countries: the United States and Mexico. Both countries suffered an initial surge in unemployment. When that surge subsided, many migrants in the United States were replaced by informal workers and remained unemployed, while in Mexico migrant workers found new jobs but at lower wages. Earlier this month ILO Director-General Guy Ryder predicted that the world was facing a long and hard road back from the pandemic, which had struck the world of work “an extraordinary blow” almost overnight. ILO wage specialist Rosalia Vasquez-Alvarez said women were more likely to work in sectors that were hardest hit by the pandemic, such as trade, manufacturing, private health and the gig economy. High income economies were expected to suffer a huge wage depression in the next few months, she said. “Overall, we expect a depression in wages that may actually have a bigger impact among migrant workers”, Ms. Vasquez-Alvarez said. ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox – Subscribe here to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices. PAY GAP|ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES|COVID-19|CORONAVIRUS|DISCRIMINATION LISTEN TO UN RADIO INTERVIEWS 5’14” Dozens of migrants die in shipping container on lorry in Moz… RELATED STORIES No time to take ‘foot off the pedal’ as coronavirus pandemic worsens: WHO Still ‘a long way to go’ in coronavirus battle, WHO chief warns New guidance for protecting migrant workers during the coronavirus pandemic NEWS TRACKER: PAST STORIES ON THIS ISSUE More uprooted, fewer return, pushing forcibly displaced above 80 million 9 December 2020Migrants and Refugees The number of people forcibly displaced around the world has doubled in the past decade and is estimated to have passed 80 million in mid-2020, as few could go home and more were uprooted, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a report published on Wednesday. Global agreement on migration ‘taking root’ despite pandemic challenge: Guterres 1 December 2020Migrants and Refugees The Global Compact for Migration, adopted by countries in 2018 as a comprehensive framework for cooperation on international migration, is “taking root in promising ways”, the UN Secretary General said on Tuesday. RESOURCES Navigate the News Information for Broadcasters UN System Links Media Alert UN Journal Meetings Coverage Audiovisual Library SECRETARY-GENERAL All Statements Official Travels Press Encounters SG Twitter SPOKESPERSON’S OFFICE Latest Statements Briefing Highlights Briefing Transcripts Notes to Correspondents FIND US UN News App Facebook Twitter YouTube RSS Contact UN News UNITED NATIONS A-Z Site IndexCopyrightFAQFraud AlertPrivacy NoticeTerms of UseShareThis Copy and Paste
