Page 82 - valuing-diversity-guidance-for-labour-market-integration-of-migrants

Valuing diversity: guidance for labour market integration of migrants

In Figure 18 shows that Greece, Spain, Italy and Cyprus have the highest rates
of overqualification among third-country born.
Immigrants who obtained their training abroad seem to be penalised more
by this phenomenon. This suggests that mechanisms for recognising
qualifications and validating skills are a priority. Cedefop's research on
polarisation of the labour market (2011e) further reinforced the idea that policy
measures are needed to ensure better use of immigrant skills to counteract the
effects of an artificial increase of the lower end labour supply, such as the
potential deficient allocation of labour or the increased pressure over average
minimum salaries.

3.3.2. Social integration and participation
A brief analysis of social integration and civil participation also indicates sharp
differences between nationals and third-country immigrants. The European
average of people at risk of poverty (16%) is only around half the proportion of
third-country immigrants (29%) facing the same risk. This contrast is more
extreme in countries where either there are reported rigidities on the access of
immigrants to work and leaning (as in Belgium) or large shares of low-qualified
immigrants, such as Greece, or Spain.

Figure 19 Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion 2011 (%)

50
45
40
35

30
25
20
15

10
5
0

Total population Non-EU
Source: Eurostat, population statistics, persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Online data code
[ilc_peps04].
However, poverty risk reflects a complexity of factors which include the
composition of the population, legislation arrangements and regulations, inclusion
policies in labour and education, and benefit and social support systems. Figure

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