The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration has published a report commissioned by its portfolio to study the gap in economic terms between the foreign population and the national population. Labor is approaching the impact of “discrimination in work and education” through the wages they no longer receive or the lower level of education. In total, he estimates it at 17 billion euros, the equivalent of 1.3% of national GDP. This report prepares the ground for the approval of the new immigration regulations with which the government wants to facilitate the regularization of migrants and workers.
The study was carried out by professors from the Autonomous University of Madrid Ramón Mahía and Eva Medina and co-financed by the European Union. The report distributes this economic impact mainly in the area of labor (12.3 billion euros or 1% of GDP) and education (4.8 billion euros or 0.36% of GDP). This evaluation in economic terms is mainly based on the quantification of the value of the salaries that these people stop receiving due to discrimination.
Workers from abroad have a lower level of education and therefore access less qualified positions. To have more presence than natives in jobs with temporary or part-time contractsas well as in the elementary professions that require fewer qualifications. On the other hand, they are not very present in the public sector, accessible by competitive examination.
The report underlines that this composition “is not voluntary and could be associated with a lack of professional integration, with a prior segmentation which ties in with the very notion of discrimination”. In terms of salaries, they claim that there is a salary gap between the foreign population and the country’s indigenous population. 500 euros per month or 23% less payroll.
The Government will approve “in the coming days” the reform of the Immigration Regulations, probably during the next Council of Ministers. The reform aims to “facilitate the regular journeys of migrants and their integration into the labor market” while attracting and retaining talent, explains the ministry. “When we do not take full advantage of the talent and capabilities of our foreign population, we lose opportunities for growth that benefit all of society,” says Minister Elma Saiz.
Work and education gap
The report of the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) highlights that currently, inequalities in access, permanence and remuneration in the labor market significantly affect the foreign population, in particular women, for a total cost of 12.3 billion euros.
THE the unemployment rate for foreigners stands at 18.2%compared to 11.6% of the indigenous population. This represents, according to the study, a loss of around 5.1 billion euros. Although the activity rate of foreign women is generally higher (71%) than that of natives (56%), there are significant differences in labor market participation among foreign women, who are 2.3% less of chances of obtaining a job (a gap which represents a loss of employment). approximately 1.2 billion euros per year).
The report also analyzes another form of employment discrimination: about qualifications. 15% of foreign workers with higher education and a considerable number of those with secondary education hold a job below their training. This problem also particularly affects foreign women, who are more frequently faced with a lack of opportunities depending on their level of training.
The educational field also shows profound inequalities which affect the foreign population from a very young age and limit their future opportunities, also with a considerable economic impact which amounts to 4.8 billion euros.
