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International Labour Migration in East Asia: trends, patterns and policy issues

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  • Prema‐chandra Athukorala

Abstract

This paper examines emerging patterns of labour migration in East Asia and related policy issues from the perspective of labour‐importing countries. Following a survey of the characteristics of labour flows stemming from, but more importantly occurring within, the region, it probes inter‐country differences, both in the timing of the entry of migrant workers and the degree of dependency on migrant labour in the context of rapid economic growth and labour market change. There is clear evidence that labour migration is now a structural feature of the economic landscape in these countries. The policy challenge is to design market‐based systems for making the new reliance on labour inflows consistent with changing domestic labour market conditions and the priorities of national development policy, while minimising social resentment and adverse implications for political relations with neighbouring labour‐sending countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Prema‐chandra Athukorala, 2006. "International Labour Migration in East Asia: trends, patterns and policy issues," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 20(1), pages 18-39, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:apacel:v:20:y:2006:i:1:p:18-39
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8411.2006.00176.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. repec:ilo:ilowps:338944 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Athukorala, Prema-chandra & Wai-Heng, Loke, 2007. "Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Malaysia," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48476, World Bank.
    2. Mueller, Marc, 2010. "Conceptual Challenges for the Integration of Agricultural Sector and General Equilibrium Models: the databases of CAPRI and GTAP," Conference papers 331937, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    3. Terrie Walmsley & Angel Aguiar & Syud Amer Ahmed, 2017. "Labour Migration and Economic Growth in East and South-East Asia," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 116-139, January.
    4. Minh Tam T. Bui, 2019. "International migration and foreign direct investment within Southeast Asia," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 731-755, October.
    5. Ingrid Nielsen & Sen Sendjaya, 2014. "Wellbeing Among Indonesian Labour Migrants to Malaysia: Implications of the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 919-938, July.
    6. Prema-chandra Athukorala & Archanun Kohpaiboon, 2013. "Global Production Sharing, Trade Patterns and Industrialization in Southeast Asia," Departmental Working Papers 2013-18, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    7. Hyejin Kim & Jongkwan Lee, 2023. "Task specialization and low‐skilled immigration in a highly educated country: Evidence from Korea," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(4), pages 1078-1101, April.
    8. Youngjin Choi, 2014. "High-risk work, cultural conflicts and labor mobility: The experiences of foreign workers in the shipyard industry on the Korean East Coast," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 57-74, March.
    9. Munshi Israil Hossain & M. Adil Khan & Patricia Short, 2013. "Migration of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia: emerging lessons of economic and social costs and benefits at the migrant, migrant household and community levels," Chapters, in: Moazzem Hossain & Tapan Sarker & Malcolm McIntosh (ed.), The Asian Century, Sustainable Growth and Climate Change, chapter 9, pages 200-222, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Bo-Xiang Hsu & Yi-Min Chen, 2021. "Why university matters: the impact of university resources on foreign workers’ human and social capital accumulation," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 45-61, March.
    11. Athukorala, Prema-chandra & Devadason, Evelyn S., 2012. "The Impact of Foreign Labor on Host Country Wages: The Experience of a Southern Host, Malaysia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1497-1510.
    12. Dilip Ratha & William Shaw, 2007. "South-South Migration and Remittances," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6733, December.
    13. Rene Ofreneo & Peter Wad, 2010. "Industrial Relations and Labour Market Conditions," Chapters, in: Rajah Rasiah & Johannes Dragsbaek Schmidt (ed.), The New Political Economy of Southeast Asia, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    14. Wilson, E. J. & Jayanthakumaran, K. & Verma, R., 2012. "Demographics, Labor Mobility, and Productivity," ADBI Working Papers 387, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    15. Michele Tuccio, 2017. "Determinants of Intra-ASEAN Migration," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 34(1), pages 144-166, March.

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