Preface

Summary

This report presents the results of a project initiated by PECC-ABAC and proposed, financed and organized by the Korea National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation (KOPEC). The object of the project was to survey experiences of the economies in the APEC region in managing permanent and temporary international movement of labour with some focus on the problems and policy responses associated with temporary workers and further to examine the business implications, identify common challenges and possible cooperative responses to them. Each of these studies was asked to cover the following topics:

1. • Assess the magnitudes, trends and patterns of labour migration in the Asia- Pacific, focusing on temporary migration of labour.

2. • Examine the demographic situation, policies and practices related to demographic change in each economy and their implications for business and labour mobility.

3. • Assess the main impediments to the international movement of labour in each economy.

4. • Analyze labour migration policies and practices.

5. • Highlight key issues and concerns pertaining to labour migration and demographic change.

6. • Compare labour migration experiences, policies and practices among economies.

7. • Examine business implications.

8. • Explore the scope for policy cooperation and labour migration.

Accordingly papers were prepared on 20 economies in the APEC region and presented at a meeting organized by KOPEC in Seoul, South Korea on 25-26 March 2008. These papers and authors are as follows:

Opening Session

1. • Prof. Graeme Hugo, Keynote Address – Demographic Change and Its Implications for Labour Mobility in Asia and the Pacific.

2. • Mr. Manolo Abella, Keynote Address – Challenges to Governance of Labour Migration in Asia-Pacific.

Northeast Asia Session

1. • Prof. Liu Yanbin – Demographic Change and International Labour Mobility Implications for Business and Social Development in China.

2. • Prof. Wong Siu-lun, Dr. Markéta Moore and Prof. James Chin – Hong Kong: Demographic Change and International Labour Mobility.

3. • Dr. Ke-Jeng Lan – The Management Mechanism of Hiring Foreign Professionals in Chinese Taipei. • Drs. Jai-Joon Hur and Kyuyong Lee – Demographic Change and International Labour Mobility in Korea.