A joint report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) revealed that migrants in Latin America are more likely to work in informal jobs, despite having higher qualifications compared to native workers. The study showed that over 50% of migrants in the region are likely to find informal work, and this trend is seen in at least half of the 12 countries analyzed.
The report also highlighted that migrants tend to have more temporary contracts and longer work shifts, with 45% of native laborers on average working informally. This disparity in the quality of jobs found by migrants indicates a failure to fully utilize the opportunities that migration can bring to these countries.
Only Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic have implemented special permits and visas to regulate the situation of immigrants in the past decade, as noted in the report. Additionally, migrant women were found to be more educated than migrant men, but the proportion of employed working-age male migrants exceeds that of female migrants by more than 27 percentage points.
Although Mexico has the second lowest proportion of migrants relative to its total population, with approximately 66% of them born in the United States, it is also characterized by the precarious smuggling of migrants en route to the United States. This has resulted in notable tragedies in recent years.
The findings from this report emphasize the need for Latin American countries to address the challenges faced by migrants in securing formal employment opportunities and integrating into society. By implementing policies and regulations that support migrants and provide them with access to decent jobs, these countries can harness the potential benefits of migration and contribute to the overall development and well-being of their societies.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
