The employment of low skilled foreign workers in the Maltese labour market

Abstract

Human migration is a global concern which has particularly affected the Maltese Islands in the last decade. Whether seeking asylum or better work opportunities in Malta, the number of migrants opting to reside and work in Malta has increased throughout the years. This empirical study looks at the different categories of migrants in employment with particular focus on low skilled employment. Considering that in 2014 only 17% of the Irregular Migrants that have submitted a request for asylum were actually working legally in Malta, this research reviews the attitudes and perceptions of local employers on this cohort of migrants. On the other hand, the number of Third Country Nationals who are economic migrants is increasing and many of them are gainfully occupied. The majority of these workers are also employed in low skilled jobs and this factor was also confirmed by the local employers who participated in this research. The study reveals that the majority of the respondents recruit foreign nationals for low skilled jobs and 76% of these respondents feel the need to do so as they claim there is a shortage of Maltese and EU workers. These employers also envisaged that they would require low skilled workers in the future and 72% of them claimed they have difficulties in sourcing low skilled workers. However, only 23% confirmed that they engage Irregular Migrants and when specifically asked if they would prefer recruiting Third Country Nationals or Irregular Migrants for specific occupations, employers gave more preference to Third Country Nationals, even for low skilled jobs. The respondents clarified that their selection was mainly affected due to the lack of skills of irregular migrants, particularly communication skills. 63% of the respondents indicated that employers tend to discriminate against irregular migrants and the majority felt that this occurs due to their illegal entry and their nationality. This study also shows that further efforts need to be made to integrate Irregular Migrants in the Maltese labour market and further training should be given for them to be more attractive to local employers. The results of this quantitative research project are inconclusive, however the study was successful in acquiring more insight into the perceptions and preferences of Maltese employers and what can be done to further integrate Irregular Migrants in the Maltese labour market.