On 13 June 2023, our monthly Journal Club debated the book “Labor movement: How Migration Regulates Labor Markets”, written by Harald Bauder (2006). The book is divided into two parts: the first presented the main theories to explain the how migration regulates labour markets, while the second brought an overview of the labour migration contexts in two different countries. The relationship between (temporary) labour migration and labour markets is at the heart of one of the hypotheses of European Birds of Passage, leading us to pick the book for our Journal Club.
Bauder considers that “international migration is a regulatory labor market tool”. To illustrate this, he presents three case studies – Berlin (Germany), Vancouver and Ontario (Canada) – focusing on the processes that position migrant workers in a vulnerable position, compared to other workers. This book presents empirical evidence on how the dynamics of migration regulates labor markets, providing reflections on what must be done to eliminate the inequality between workers.