Migrants, Markets, and Mayors

In our rapidly urbanizing world, mayors often see migrants as a burden to their cities' labor markets and a threat to their development. Drawing on national household surveys and four secondary city case studies in Africa, this report finds that migrants--being younger, better educated, and complementary to the resident labor force--can strengthen the urban labor force. Labor market outcomes for migrants generally are at least as good as those for residents. Migrants also contribute increasingly less to urban population growth. Secondary cities and towns appear particularly well placed to leverage migration if they have good urban management that develops land and labor markets, prepares for growth, and benefits everyone, migrants as well as residents. Migrant-specific interventions are warranted when divisions between native populations and migrants are deep. Strengthening the financial, technical, and planning capacity of towns and secondary cities to better integrate migrants is part and parcel of the good jobs agenda.