Long‑term trends

Notwithstanding a recent slowdown, the past decade has been notable for a relatively sharp increase in employment in several member countries. The employment of both immigrants and natives has increased in many OECD countries (especially in the United States, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands), with the exception of Austria and Sweden. In the United Kingdom, immigrants contributed to and benefited from over 30% of net job creation, while in Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and Sweden, the percentage was equal to or in excess of 20%.

The overall picture regarding progress in immigrant access to employment is relatively positive. The employment rate of the foreign-born ranged from around 50% (Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Germany) to more than 70% (Portugal, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and the United States). With the exception of South Europe, Hungary and Luxembourg, the employment rate of the foreign-born was generally below the rate for the native-born.

In all countries under consideration, except in South Europe, Hungary and Luxembourg, foreign-born women have lower employment rates than their native-born counterparts. In 2004, less than 60% of immigrant women aged 15 to 64 had a job, except in Norway, Portugal and Switzerland. To a certain extent this indicator overestimates their participation to the labour market as they are more often in part-time employment. Immigrants from non-OECD member countries have proportionally even lower employment rates. In addition, the differences between native and immigrant women increase with the level of education.

Over the last decade, the employment rate of foreign-born women increased more rapidly than that of immigrant men in all countries under review. Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal have seen the largest increase in the employment rate of immigrant women since 1995.