Measurement_indicators_integration_en

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marginalisation. This in turn can lead to socially undesirable behaviour which is
expressed, for example, in the form of criminal activity or social unrest. From an
economic point of view successful integration is necessary because discrimination in
the labour market has the effect that the human resources (in this case the foreign
workers) are not employed in accordance with their qualifications, which means their
inefficient use. As a result, productivity potentials are not used, and avoidable costs
are incurred.
Also in future the immigration of foreign workers into the industrialised European
countries can be expected to continue. A large proportion of the immigrants will stay.
Integration efforts will be necessary for them, too. Immigration will occur for two
reasons: firstly because of the enormous migration pressure from the South (eg from
the Maghreb countries) and from central and eastern Europe, secondly because of
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the ageing of the working population of the receiving countries.
2. The concept of integration
Integration can be understood as a process and at the same time as a state. The
integration process proceeds in the direction of a desired state, i.e. the achievement
of successful integration. The integration process has proceeded successfully if, with
respect to participation in social areas of the receiving country, differences between
comparable groups of nationals and foreigners/ethnic minorities no longer exist.
Important areas for integration are housing, education, and work. The pre-requisite
for the successful integration of a person is legal security/legal equality for the
migrants.
But opportunities must not only be the same in law for nationals, non-nationals and
members of ethnic minorities, but conditions must also be the same in actual
practice. In competitive societies, equality before the law rarely suffices by itself to
ensure that people with different cultural backgrounds can take advantage of
society s opportunities on equal terms. Therefore, disadvantaged persons must be
assisted or enabled to compete on comparable terms with those nationals with
similar characteristics.
Gainful employment is an important component of society and in the life of each
individual as it is necessary for one s livelihood and determines status in society.
With regard to the labour market a successful integration would have to show the
same employment structures between comparable groups of nationals and
foreigners (eg in unemployment, earnings, employment rate). The pre-requisite for
this is the same access to occupation/work, including the existence of certain
preconditions which enable the foreign workers to practise an occupation on the
same terms as nationals, such as access to the education systems and to training
schemes, housing or social security. These areas are not independent of each other
and can influence each other.
3. Measurement of integration into the labour market
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Integration into the labour market means a process in the direction of the same
gainful employment structures for foreign economically active persons/ethnic
minorities as for national employees. Similar gainful employment structures signalise
successful integration. Applied specifically to labour market conditions this means
that at the end of the integration process no more differences should be found
between comparable groups of nationals and migrants in employment participation
(activity rate), in unemployment or income, etc.
As integration means a process in the direction of a desired state (same employment
structures), integration could be measured by the deviation (or similarity) of
employment structures between the foreign and national workforces. In the most
simple case of measurement the labour market indicators (eg activity,
unemployment, incomes) for national and foreign gainfully employed persons can be
juxtaposed and compared. Indices could also be calculated which, for example,
indicate the degree of deviation.
A great problem is the delimitation of a comparable national group: in order to be
able to asses the level of integration, comparable groups of nationals and
foreigners/ethnic minorities must be juxtaposed. The national contrast group must, in
its characteristics, as far as possible be identical with the group of foreigners/ethnic
minority. The most important characteristics concerning the labour market are age,
sex, qualifications, occupation, economic sector and region. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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