In November 2026, the OECD published its International Migration Outlook showing that permanent migration to member countries declined in 2025 even as permanent migration for work rose. It counted 6.1 million new permanent immigrants, 1.6% fewer than in 2024 but 12.5% more than in 2019. The decline was the second in succession after the post-pandemic increase.

The headline includes several kinds of admission. Family reunification was the largest category, at 45% of permanent inflows. Labour migration rose and accounted for 20%, while humanitarian migration fell by 26%. This breakdown matters because an employer planning cross-border recruitment is interested in a narrower set of routes. The OECD’s permanent labour figures do not capture every temporary assignment, work permit or cross-border move.

The report describes different trends across destination countries. It also distinguishes permanent migration from international student flows, which declined from 1.9 million in 2024 to 1.6 million in 2025. That distinction matters where employers recruit graduates. Student inflows may change the future pool of candidates, but local post-study work rules and sponsorship requirements determine which hires are possible.

Plan for arrival and retention

The OECD reports that immigrants account for 16% of employment across the OECD. In just over half of member countries they contributed at least half of employment growth from 2014 to 2024. That history shows why employers should assess integration and retention as part of workforce planning.

Benefits teams can help by checking when health and pension eligibility starts, what a new arrival needs to enroll and how family members are covered. Explain where statutory cover ends and employer cover begins. A group can adopt common standards for these questions while leaving local teams to apply the rules in their market. For temporary assignments, identify who handles the handoff when an employee changes location or returns home.

The board should be given a small set of measures it can use: time to permitted start, delays linked to documentation and enrollment problems after arrival. Read those results alongside retention and employee feedback. The OECD report provides a useful comparison across countries, while local rules and experience should determine the resources needed for each move.

Sources

OECD: International Migration Outlook release

OECD – International Migration Outlook 2026 full report