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 ISSUES OF LABOR MIGRATION

Liliana Gheorghe, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania

Abstract: Factors of production are resources available, attracted and utilized in economic
activity, namely in the production of material goods and services. Productive resources such
as land, minerals, construction, machinery and equipment manufacturing, energy, water,
knowledge and experience, information, resources are crucial for a country’s economy. In
this context, taking account of current policy and socio - political - ecomonic, both globally
and nationally, the country’s European Union integration perspective, this paper aims to
bring to the fore the issue of labor migration.

Keywords: migration, labor, decision, price

Migration

European Union enlargement has implied, generally two different ways of approaching the
issue of labor migration: that of the countries that are, in general, host of migratory flows, as
well as those that are sources of these countries the flows. Economic impacts, positive and
negative, are recorded in both cases, although many are cǎ difficult to quantify. Moreover,
even flows are difficult to measure since they are not always recorded, and that often are
illegal. An alternative approach was generated by the types of flows. On the one hand, there is
openness to migration in order to cover a shortage of skilled labor embodied in managed
through quantitative barriers on trade flows and professions division. Another policy to
migration but is geared to attract highly qualified staff, an action in which developed countries
have already entered the competition.

A common European market requires free movement of goods, services, capital and people.
In part these issues have been met and the first sense of freedom trends in the labor movement
began in 1968. Although it was one of the main goals achieved, the mutual exchange of labor
was not nearly as intense as expected. Given the fact that, in accordance with the theories so
far issued, migration motives were, it was concluded that, in order not to limit this
phenomenon will be eliminated a number of obstacles on the one hand, as will should, on the
other hand, promoted mobility.

The decision to migrate

The terms „mobility and „migration have a different meaning in the literature, representing a
complex phenomenon. Their analysis shows, as time goes on, to have an interdisciplinary
character, the main effects of having both economic and social. The move means any spatial
mobility of workers, migration and identifying those movements that involve change of
residence. Migration can be, well, temporary or permanent.

The decision to migrate is determined by a number of factors, which may range from
economic issues, to personal and political issues. The decision to migrate to an individual is
determined strictly by the difference resulting from the gains and costs involved in migration
(Hicks 1932). While earnings are generally simple to calculate, difficult to quantify the cost
elements, with a high element of subjectivity. A person in the decision to migrate will have to
take into account the following elements: direct costs (for exemple: transport costs and bring
their goods in the destination country), lost earnings (entries that you lost during the search
country of destination) and psychological costs (associated, for example, removal from family
and friends). To calculate the first types of costs, individuals will take into account economic
and social factors in both countries, the origin and destination. The difficulty often comes in
the subjectivity of choosing to migrate (the worker knows exactly what conditions it expects
the new location), which can have a direct influence on the permanence of the phenomenon.

Permanent migration was prevalent in centuries past, removing barriers related to tilting
away. Family size may be important in the decision to migrate, whereas the costs „move all
families are considerably higher than those related to the mobility of a single individual
(McConnell & BRUE 1995). To get a realistic view about all these costs, the person who
intends to migrate information must be accurate and complete as the realities of the two
countries. They are essential, as would be among those measured.

An important point is made, however, the psychological costs, which quantification is

difficult to make. Factors involved in this calculation may be age (since age is more advanced,
the possibilities to recover the costs involved by mobility are lower, because the remaining
time available, also, flexibility is not the same, neither professionally or psychologically),
family (families decision to leave is  often an issue of considerable weight). Not be neglected
other types of cash flow generating more specific reasons, such as completing the applications
for political asylum, for example.

A central role in migration decision is the level of individual preparedness. Experts have
shown that there is a direct correlation between the level of preparedness of the individual and
the probability of migration. This may be due partly to the fact that people are more prepared
to identify more effective alternatives in the labor market, thereby reducing the costs of
migration. It is also generally accepted that the alternatives for these individuals are more
numerous and varied. Economic incentives will be bigger too for older individuals with more
thorough training. Knowledge about language barriers are more easily overcome these
categories, and greater flexibility in these cases. Since the human factor is decisive in
achieving technical and economic progress, a number of developed countries have worked out
very well structured to attract international migration of highly skilled people. Beyond the
removal of legislative barriers have been introduced incentive schemes of this phenomenon.
This led to a steady stream of European countries from the United States and Canada.
Awareness of this problem has led a number of developed countries in Europe to take the
weight of the phenomenon, by applying policies comparable to those applied by Member
precedence North America.

The decision to migrate is not a final decision very often. Return migration or repeated
migration can be generated by the realization that wrong decisions were made when the
calculation of earnings, it is most often based on insufficient information. Each migration
flow is often followed by a stream of return migration, which can be considerable in some
situations. According to Eurostat estimates, about a quarter of migrants from EU countries
were emigrants to return (FISCHER & STRAUBHAAR 1996). On the other hand,
repeated migration can be seen as an explicit strategy to advance their career (intra-company
transfers). Because of this repeated migration occurs in people with a high skill level.
Attitude towards migration of European Union countries: the approach of „host
countries

The attitude of European countries are characterized by a double direction: that of greater
flexibility as regards the phenomenon of migration and therefore measures of protection
against certain consequences that he could have it. The need for removing barriers placed in a
single market mobility is evident. Removing these obstacles can be conducted or the
transparency and recognition of educational qualifications and training. Another aspect is that
the regulations related to social security systems at national level where the benefits can be
submitted at the union.

Studies to date indicate that the voluntary migration of a factor is the economic differences
and thus earning opportunities. However, stimulation of migration depends not only on
absolute differences between gains obtainable in the country of origin and destination, the
relative level of wages in the country of origin is quite important. If revenues exceed a certain
poverty threshold to reach a socially acceptable, the trend continues to be to migrate, but this
situation is overcome if there are sufficient incentives to stay.

Although the phenomenon of migration can have direct negative aspects of the GDP of the
country of origin, due to a possible shortage of local labor market specialists, it was found that
for recovery, positive effects may have a higher percentage. The problem arises from the
return of more and more, especially because of the tendency of convergence of European
economies. The productivity of migrants who return to their home country is assumed to be
higher than that of their countrymen (BARRETT & O’Connell 2001). Often migrants have
developed new skills and ways of working, which in the country of origin, with better results.
This can have an opposite impact on GDP of the countries of origin, which had fallen due to
the loss of part of the workforce, increasing production capacity for human capital returns
home.

Prospects for further integration of migration in Romania: „source, „transit and „host
country

The first initiatives to create a new legislative framework on migration took place in Romania
in early 1990. Later, with Romania’s application to join the European Union, this activity has
intensified.  Particular attention was given to certain aspects of the legislation may have direct
influence over the phenomenon of migration like issues related to employment (direct and
indirect influence on migration) and issues of mutual recognition of diplomas and
qualifications.

Studies have identified a category of population with a greater preponderance in the

phenomenon of migration. The largest share is represented by young males (18-35 years) with
average qualifications of cities and the capital. Another high emigration potential was
identified in the villages, they structured the typology: „communities in the early stages of the
migration process are present in the external circulation especially in the villages of modern,
large stock of education, communities are inexperienced migration specific villages with
traditional stock and low education with high isolation (Sandu 2004). Migration flows also
should not be neglected, or so-called selective migration flows based on ethnic or religious
criteria, here is an example of coverage of the population of ethnic German immigration has
led to an „emptiness of central and western areas of the country. With increased freedom to
travel abroad in recent years have seen a reduction in the phenomenon of migration by EU
Member States, increasing in intensity as temporary migration. This point can you have a
positive impact on the Romanian market, as incumbent migrants often return with their know-
how and higher productivity. Moreover, particularly in migration of people with secondary
education and family in the country, most of the proceeds is remedying.

With increased freedom to travel abroad in recent years have seen a reduction in the
phenomenon of migration by European Union Member States, a sensitive aspect of the
integration of immigrants is the reintegration of returning migrants in the country. In this
category fall those with special circumstances, such as Romanian students who have attended
universities abroad, Gypsies, people that were the subject of human trafficking,
unaccompanied Romanian minors, returnees. With increased freedom to travel abroad in
recent years have seen a reduction in the phenomenon of migration by European Union
Member States, a sensitive aspect of the integration of immigrants is the reintegration of
returning migrants in the country. In this category fall those with special circumstances, such
as Romanian students who have attended universities abroad, Gypsies, people that were the
subject of human trafficking, unaccompanied Romanian minors, returnees. Regarding the
situation in Romania, students returning to the country after they were trained in universities
abroad face difficulties in the reintegration process, the cultural shock experienced life in
society after contact with other economic and social standards to problems with recognition of
diplomas. There is no coherent program for the reintegration of these individuals, the
immediate consequence is a clear deterrent to repatriate them with long-term adverse effects.
These effects have already been made by European countries in relation to North American
states.

There is no coherent program for the reintegration of these individuals, the immediate
consequence is a clear deterrent to repatriate them with long-term adverse effects. These
effects have already been made by European countries in relation to North American states.
This requires, besides a very serious look approach legislative, infrastructural and focus on the
man. From this point of view, Romania is in a position of great responsibility, especially
taking into account that in this case it is a frontier land for the most part.

Conclusions

The migration phenomenon has been demonstrated to be a generator of economic

development on the one hand, regional agglomeration effects on the other side. The decision
to migrate, although the general expectation is generated quantifiable in terms of net earnings,
is often subject to uncertainty and imperfect information. Limited information on the effects
that this phenomenon may have on individuals, host countries and destination countries, very
often leads to a partial and erroneous understanding of it. The growing importance of
migration in socio-economic landscape of the area has grown with the European Unions
eastward enlargement, free movement of persons and employment training as part of
European Union internal market and in conjunction with the free movement of capital, goods
and services.

Compared with developed countries that are a favorite destination of migration, Romania still
faces intense problems in this respect. One aspect worthy of attention is represented by the
trend towards migration of highly qualified personnel, whose presence in the country is
necessary at this time avoiding the fight for economic and social exclusion will increase in
intensity.
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