• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.1-27
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• 2006

Recent migration is led by skilled labor, This paper performes a cross-country analysis to find the determinants of skilled migration using recently released Doquier and Marfouk(2005) data as dependent variable and economic indicators of nations as independent variables. Regression results show that the skilled migration to OECD countries are driven not only by income motive but also by structural factors, such as industrial structure and life expectancy, which have broader meanings in development. It is noteworthy that structural factors of a nation become more important as its income level rises. English seems to have positive effect on skilled migration. Some region-specific factors, proximity to USA of Caribbean countries and political instability of Gold Coast countreis, for example, are found. Middle-income countries seem to be the most vulnerable to the possible risk of brain drain.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.159-186
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• 2019

Southeast Asia accounts for nearly a tenth of total worldwide cross-border movements of migrant workers. Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Philippines make up the sending countries while Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are the major destinations. Migrant worker movements are predominantly in production process and low- to medium-skilled sectors. It is not unusual for irregular or undocumented movements to take place. In not a few instances, migrants work under harsh and exploitative conditions. In recent years, however, ASEAN has taken steps to manage labor migration at the regional level. The paper argues that ASEAN has not managed these cross-border labor flows as well as it should particularly in terms of protecting and promoting the human rights of migrants. It will be difficult to establish the genuine building blocks for a regional human rights mechanism unless there is a diffusion of alternative universal norms and standards to what ASEAN already embodies. As long as states resist any attempt to weaken or question or deligitimize their capacity to determine who gets to enter, stay, and leave their jurisdictions, it will be difficult to establish an effective migrant rights framework for the region.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2023

With the restriction of foreigners' entry into Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fishery industry faced significant challenges in supplying migrant workers. In response to this, there is growing interest in methods that could facilitate the stable employment of migrant workers. This paper investigates whether the current system used for the employment of migrant workers in the fishery industry, which is highly dependent on them, adequately performs its function of providing a stable and skilled workforce amid the intensified labor shortage resulting from decreasing numbers of households with employment in the fishery and the aging Korean fishermen. To this end, past studies and government documents pertaining to the current system were analyzed, and a survey targeting the owners of offshore fishing boats that employ migrant workers was conducted. A total of 147 owners of fishing boats responded to the survey, and the data of 499 migrant workers employed by them were used for the analysis. The analysis indicated that the migrant fishermen had difficulty in acquiring minimum scores for the change of visa status according to the criteria for the Skilled Worker Points System. Furthermore, distinct differences were found between the characteristics and working conditions of migrant workers employed through the Employment Permit System (EPS) and the Foreign Seamen System. Based on this result, this paper suggests the reorganization of the skilled migrant worker system in the fishery industry and the expansion of the regional specialized visa pilot project.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.73-107
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the characteristics of the social relations of migrant workers in the Ansan area and the factors for the construction of those characteristics. The social relations of migrant workers in the Ansan area are affected by the Korean government's policy of EPS, a short-term rotation policy and its ban on the settlement of migrant workers. These workers are likely to form a temporary and bounded social relationship. The bounded social relationship of migrant workers to society is one of the major factors that put them in social poverty. Ethnic communities, support organizations for migrant workers, and local government agencies have assumed the task of helping build the network among migrant workers of various ethnic backgrounds as well as aiding their participation in local social activities. The status of a temporary resident is the prime reason for spatial exclusion and social poverty among migrant workers. To prevent the exacerbation of these phenomena, this study suggests that the government reconsider its short-term work permit policy for less skilled workers.