Structural Changes in the Receiving Country and Future Labor Migration –The Case of Kuwait

Abstract

Structural changes in the labor force of the receiving country can provide some important clues to the speed and nature of replacement of migrant workers by indigenous ones. This article analyzes changes in the national labor force with regard to volume, age and sex composition, retention in the labor force, productivity, type of occupation, and sector of activity. Changes in the above features during the last two decades indicate that the median age of the national male labor force remains low, its concentration in the public sector has increased, and its participation in production and manual work has declined further. The labor force participation of females has increased substantially, and they comprised 31 percent of the national labor force in 1993. Kuwaiti females participate mainly in the professional or technical and clerical occupations. The number of non-Kuwaiti females in the labor force has increased, with domestic servants as a major category. The above structural changes suggest that the national labor force is growing in a manner that implies a continued long-term dependence on foreign workers. Dependence on expatriates is likely to be greatest for occupations involving maintenance of infrastructures and personal services.