Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia
The movement of people in Southeast Asia is an issue of increasing importance. Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are now the origin of 8 percent of the world's migrants. These countries host only 4 percent of the world's migrants but intra-regional migration...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English en_US |
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Washington, DC: World Bank
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28342 |
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okr-10986-283422021-04-23T14:04:48Z Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia Testaverde, Mauro Moroz, Harry Hollweg, Claire H. Schmillen, Achim URBAN POVERTY URBAN INCLUSION URBAN INEQUALITY SLUMS SOCIAL INCLUSION ECONOMIC INCLUSION SPATIAL INCLUSION URBAN POOR URBAN INFORMALITY INCLUSION IN CITIES The movement of people in Southeast Asia is an issue of increasing importance. Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are now the origin of 8 percent of the world's migrants. These countries host only 4 percent of the world's migrants but intra-regional migration has turned Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand into regional migration hubs that are home to 6.5 million ASEAN migrants. However, significant international and domestic labor mobility costs limit the ability of workers to change firms, sectors, and geographies in ASEAN. This report takes an innovative approach to estimate the costs for workers to migrate internationally. Singapore and Malaysia have the lowest international labor mobility costs in ASEAN while workers migrating to Myanmar and Vietnam have the highest costs. Singapore and Malaysia's more developed migration systems are a key reason for their lower labor mobility costs. How easily workers can move to take advantage of new opportunities is important in determining how they fare under the increased economic integration planned for ASEAN. To study this question, the report simulates how worker welfare is affected by enhanced trade integration under different scenarios of labor mobility costs. Region-wide, worker welfare would be 14 percent higher if barriers to mobility were reduced for skilled workers, and an additional 29 percent if barriers to mobility were lowered for all workers. Weaknesses in migration systems increase international labor mobility costs, but policy reforms can help. Destination countries should work toward systems that are responsive to economic needs and consistent with domestic policies. Sending countries should balance protections for migrant workers with the needs of economic development. 2017-09-20T19:11:53Z 2017-09-20T19:11:53Z 2017-10-08 Book 978-1-4648-1106-7 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28342 English en_US CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank Washington, DC: World Bank Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Publication East Asia and Pacific Southeast Asia |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English en_US |
| topic |
URBAN POVERTY URBAN INCLUSION URBAN INEQUALITY SLUMS SOCIAL INCLUSION ECONOMIC INCLUSION SPATIAL INCLUSION URBAN POOR URBAN INFORMALITY INCLUSION IN CITIES |
| spellingShingle |
URBAN POVERTY URBAN INCLUSION URBAN INEQUALITY SLUMS SOCIAL INCLUSION ECONOMIC INCLUSION SPATIAL INCLUSION URBAN POOR URBAN INFORMALITY INCLUSION IN CITIES Testaverde, Mauro Moroz, Harry Hollweg, Claire H. Schmillen, Achim Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia |
| geographic_facet |
East Asia and Pacific Southeast Asia |
| description |
The movement of people in Southeast Asia is an issue of increasing importance. Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are now the origin of 8 percent of the world's migrants. These countries host only 4 percent of the world's migrants but intra-regional migration has turned Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand into regional migration hubs that are home to 6.5 million ASEAN migrants. However, significant international and domestic labor mobility costs limit the ability of workers to change firms, sectors, and geographies in ASEAN.
This report takes an innovative approach to estimate the costs for workers to migrate internationally. Singapore and Malaysia have the lowest international labor mobility costs in ASEAN while workers migrating to Myanmar and Vietnam have the highest costs. Singapore and Malaysia's more developed migration systems are a key reason for their lower labor mobility costs.
How easily workers can move to take advantage of new opportunities is important in determining how they fare under the increased economic integration planned for ASEAN. To study this question, the report simulates how worker welfare is affected by enhanced trade integration under different scenarios of labor mobility costs. Region-wide, worker welfare would be 14 percent higher if barriers to mobility were reduced for skilled workers, and an additional 29 percent if barriers to mobility were lowered for all workers.
Weaknesses in migration systems increase international labor mobility costs, but policy reforms can help. Destination countries should work toward systems that are responsive to economic needs and consistent with domestic policies. Sending countries should balance protections for migrant workers with the needs of economic development. |
| format |
Book |
| author |
Testaverde, Mauro Moroz, Harry Hollweg, Claire H. Schmillen, Achim |
| author_facet |
Testaverde, Mauro Moroz, Harry Hollweg, Claire H. Schmillen, Achim |
| author_sort |
Testaverde, Mauro |
| title |
Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia |
| title_short |
Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia |
| title_full |
Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia |
| title_fullStr |
Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Migrating to Opportunity : Overcoming Barriers to Labor Mobility in Southeast Asia |
| title_sort |
migrating to opportunity : overcoming barriers to labor mobility in southeast asia |
| publisher |
Washington, DC: World Bank |
| publishDate |
2017 |
| url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28342 |
| _version_ |
1764466660199104512 |