Since 2011, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the OECD, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have been collaborating to organize the Annual Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia. The 10th anniversary of this event was marked in February 2020 in Bangkok, on the theme “Labor Migration in Asia: Future of Labor Migration in Asia – Challenges and Opportunities in the Next Decade.”

ADBI, OECD, and ILO have also prepared this joint publication. The 2021 edition, “Impacts of the COVID-19 Crisis and the Post-Pandemic Future,” has three chapters and a statistical annex providing the most complete comparative data on international labor mobility in Asia. The joint publication includes the major outcomes from the 10th Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia. This 2021 publication has also pivoted to look at trends and the future of labor migration in light of the disruptions and developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current economic and social transitions in the global economy, as well as the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, have sharply affected labor migration in Asia and put pressure on policy makers and regulators to develop timely policy responses and innovative approaches for guaranteeing the effective management of labor migration. We hope that this publication will provide useful policy guidance and statistical reference to practitioners, authorities, and policy makers. Further, we extend our sincere gratitude to the organizing team for their efforts and contribution in preparing this joint publication and the Annual Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia.