The Impact of Turkish Labour Migration on the Human Resources in the European Union

Abstract

This paper explores the implications of Turkish labour migration for the human resources strategies of the European Union (EU). The key issues in the migration debate centre on globalization and the constant need for technological change (innovation), which gradually resulted in fundamental economic transformations. Each of these transformations has fundamental implications for nature of knowledge-driven economies. Impact of knowledge on economic growth is evident and crucial. Under the influence of globalization and information technologies, for most countries it became necessity to be competitive in the world market. This shift has probably increased the importance of human capital in the West, with complex and sometimes contradictory implications for public policy making. The industrial revolution has laid the foundation of transformation in term of sectoral structure. As a result, both processes and products have been revolutionized, adjusting the equation between capital and labour. The growth in the service sector has led to major jobs losses in manufacturing. Lack of skills in the face of continuing economic change is a Europe-wide phenomenon. According to the European Commission studies (2008), two thirds of business claimed that there was the lack of adequate skills in some sectors, such as engineering and construction. This suggests that the developed economies will continue to attract and exchange highly skilled workers. Essentially, labour shortages may occur in those industries that are growing, but specific skill shortages are likely to be universal, as new technologies and working practices outstrip existing educational and training provisions. The scale of any shortages seems to be affected by prevailing economic conditions. The questions are likely to be more deeply debated in the European context in coming years whether or not Turkish immigrants may compensate skills shortages. The central debate is to what extent Turkish workers undercut native workers and thus reduce the pressure on the European countries and firms to provide training and technology.