Permanent immigration into Italy decreasing

Permanent immigration into Italy is decreasing while asylum applications are on the rise, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a report presented in Rome on Wednesday The report was discussed at a conference organized by the National Council for Economics and Labor (CNEL) looking at trends in international migration, especially in Italy. The OECD noted that there was an increase in young immigrants without work or study permits. Italians emigrating to other OECD countries have risen to approximately 78,000, up 6% between 2009 and 2010. Asylum requests in Italy have tripled since 2009, placing the country seventh among OSCE countries for refugee applicants. Immigrants are harder hit by unemployment trends in temporary positions, said the report, but in terms of long-term contracts the rate of unemployment is comparable to Italian nationals. Three out of five immigrants in Italy have found work in an emerging field, a higher proportion than in other OECD countries, and also accounted for 28% of the increase in the Italian workforce over the past decade. However, 30% of young migrants work in less qualified categories, about 50% higher than other OECD countries with the exception of Spain and Greece. Immigrants play a role in maintaining the size of the Italian workforce, said the report. Italy is one of the few OECD countries where the retired population exceeds young people entering the workforce.