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

See Full Page