Immigrants in OECD nations hit by economic crisis: report

Immigrants in OECD nations have been badly hit by the economic crisis especially in vulnerable states such as Ireland, Spain and Italy, AFP says citing a report. The report, entitled "Settling in: OECD indicators of immigrant integration in 2012," said the average rate of unemployment among immigrants in the industrialised club of nations had risen to 11.9 percent in 2010, a 2.7 point rise over the past decade. The corresponding increase for locals was almost a third less at one percentage point, it said. Referring to Iceland, Ireland, Spain and Italy, the report said: "These countries also had significant recent labour migration, often in cyclical sectors and low-skilled occupations, which tend to be particularly hit hard by declining labour market conditions during a downturn." It said the number of immigrants had increased by a third over a decade with "approximately 110 million foreign-born persons living in the OECD countries in 2009-10, representing 9 percent of the total population." Only Estonia and Israel were the exceptions, it said. "The increase has been especially spectacular in Spain, where the foreign-born share of the population trebled. At the end of the period, Spain had over 6.5 million immigrants," the report said.

Immigrants in OECD nations have been badly hit by the economic crisis especially in vulnerable states such as Ireland, Spain and Italy, AFP says citing a report. The report, entitled "Settling in: OECD indicators of immigrant integration in 2012," said the average rate of unemployment among immigrants in the industrialised club of nations had risen to 11.9 percent in 2010, a 2.7 point rise over the past decade. The corresponding increase for locals was almost a third less at one percentage point, it said. Referring to Iceland, Ireland, Spain and Italy, the report said: "These countries also had significant recent labour migration, often in cyclical sectors and low-skilled occupations, which tend to be particularly hit hard by declining labour market conditions during a downturn." It said the number of immigrants had increased by a third over a decade with "approximately 110 million foreign-born persons living in the OECD countries in 2009-10, representing 9 percent of the total population." Only Estonia and Israel were the exceptions, it said. "The increase has been especially spectacular in Spain, where the foreign-born share of the population trebled. At the end of the period, Spain had over 6.5 million immigrants," the report said.

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