Why is work-related migration to rich countries falling?

Work-related migration to wealthy countries fell by more than one-fifth last year, as labour markets weakened and countries including Australia and the United Kingdom tightened visa rules, according to new research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Data from the Paris-based organisation, which is made up of 38 wealthy and emerging economies, showed that work-related migration declined between 2023 and 2024, even before Donald Trump’s return to the White House reduced the number of arrivals into the United States.

After several years of steady growth following the global COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people admitted for permanent work purposes across the OECD fell by 21 percent last year, dropping to roughly 934,000.

A portion of the drop stemmed from visa policy tightening – most visibly in the UK, where net migration fell by more than 40 percent in 2024. But even where there was no change in policy stance, labour migration fell in most European Union countries, dropping to below 2019 levels.

According to Jean-Christophe Dumont, who leads the OECD’s international migration division, the downturn can be chalked up to a “less favourable” global economic situation.

In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its global growth forecast by 0.5 percentage points to 2.8 percent for 2025, citing President Donald Trump’s trade war as a limiting factor.

Meanwhile, other countries that had traditionally been among the largest recipients of migrants have toughened entry rules. Over the past two years, Canada, Australia and the UK have all brought in measures to limit work-related migration.

Elsewhere, Dumont noted that a large number of Ukrainians granted temporary protection in Europe had eased labour shortages in several sectors, reducing the demand for foreign workers.

According to the most recent data from the OECD, an estimated 5.1 million Ukrainians who fled their country following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 are now living in OECD member states, as of June 2025.