Report: Migrants are the solution to the labor shortage crisis
The Immigration Advisory Council in the Netherlands revealed that there are more than 331,000 migrants who can enter the labor market and help fill the significant shortage of the workforce. According to the report, the percentage of migrants in paid employment is 67.7%, compared to 85.7% among the Dutch without a migration background.
The council pointed out that closing this gap in the employment rate could provide hundreds of thousands of additional employees, representing a significant opportunity to address the shortage faced by many companies in the Dutch market. In this context, "migrants" refers to individuals who were born outside of the Netherlands and have parents who were also born outside the country. Those born in the Netherlands are not included in this classification.
The report clarified that the highest unemployment rates are found among migrants who are asylum seekers and those who have obtained asylum, in addition to their family members who joined them. This group represents nearly half of the unused capacities. In contrast, skilled migrants, known as kennismigranten, enjoy a higher employment rate even than Dutch individuals without a migration background. The report also indicated that the gap in job opportunities narrows the longer migrants stay in the Netherlands.
The council emphasized that the responsibility for unemployment does not solely rest on migrants, but there are other influencing factors such as selection mechanisms in the labor market and discrimination by some employers. Further studies are expected to clarify more reasons for this unemployment.
The council confirmed that increasing employment rates among migrants will benefit everyone: migrants will receive higher income and improved quality of life, employers will be able to meet their workforce needs, and society will benefit from reduced spending on social benefits and increased tax revenues. Among the key recommendations for the government is to invest in improving language skills for migrants.