ILO global estimates on international migrant workers: international migrants in the labour force

In today's globalized economy, more people in search of decent work are looking for job opportunities beyond their home country. This report estimates that in 2022, the number of international migrants in the labour force stood at 167.7 million, representing 4.7 per cent of the global labour force. This number had grown by 30 million since 2013, with an average annual increase of 2.8 per cent until 2019. However, from 2019 to 2022, the growth slowed to less than one per cent per year. These estimates cover 189 countries and territories, representing about 99 per cent of the world population. The presence of international migrants in the labour force not only benefits the destination countries, for example by addressing skills shortages and enriching host communities, it also supports development in their home countries through remittances and newly acquired skills of returning migrants.

International labour migration continues to be a key policy priority at the global, regional and national levels. Yet, there is still limited information about the participation of international migrants in the labour market, their employment characteristics and working conditions. This report aims to fill this gap at global and regional levels and has progressively expanded the range of information available on international migrants in the labour force over the three previous editions. This fourth edition introduces for the first time new estimates of the number of employed and unemployed international migrants and some of their main characteristics.

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