The Labour Market Integration of Immigrants and Their Children in Switzerland

Author(s) : Thomas Liebig, Sebastian Kohls, Karolin Krause

Source : http://www.oecd.org/switzerland/49654710.pdf

Abstract:

Switzerland is among the OECD countries with the largest immigrant populations

–27% of the working-age population are foreign-born– and the issue of immigration is high on both the policy agenda and in the public debate. Given the numerous debates around this issue in Switzerland, one could be tempted to think that immigrants are less well integrated than in other countries. The review shows that overall, integration works well in Switzerland. The labour market outcomes for the immigrant population as a whole are highly favourable in international comparison. Both immigrant men and immigrant women have higher employment rates than in other OECD countries. The favourable picture is mainly attributable to the overall good labour market conditions in Switzerland and a specific mix of origin countries. The bulk of migrants (more than 60%) have come from high-income OECD countries, more than half of whom from the neighbouring countries with which Switzerland shares the same national languages. Among the other immigrants, the majority are from the successor countries of the former Yugoslavia and from Turkey.