The global economic recession has had mixed effects on migration. In some cases it led to clear decreases in remittance-sending, while many migrants also lost their jobs. In the United States, for example, a large number of immigrants worked in low-skilled industries such as construction, where available jobs dropped precipitously after the collapse of the housing industry. The unemployment rate for Central Americans and Mexicans, who make up the majority of immigrants in the US, is a few points worse than the national average. (October 2009 unemployment rates: 9.5% for native-born; 11.5% for Mexicans and Central Americans)
Interestingly, however, rather than causing a mass outflow of migrants from developed nations to countries of origin, a recent study by Migration Information Source found that most migrants are remaining where they are. This may be due to a number of factors, some of which are:
• Migrants may have moved with the intention of their new residence being a permanent home.
• It might be prohibitively expensive for migrants to return to their country of origin (not to mention difficult to once again re-enter the destination country).
• Economic conditions in the source country may be no better – and instead, actually worse – than where migrants currently live.
Perhaps we could also interpret the migrants’ decision to remain where they are as a positive and bullish outlook on their long-term prospects in their new country. Those without jobs believe that once the economy picks up they will be back to work. This is no doubt a desire shared by many, whatever their immigration status.
Migration Information Source’s report, providing the basis for the statistics above, can be found on their website.
