International knowledge workers and labour migrants in Zuid-Limburg

16 November 2021

There are more than 2,500 internationals whom we regularly inform about the Maastricht region itself, fun or informative events that take place, the updated corona measures, and so on. However, do you know how many internationals work and live in the Maastricht Region? Do you know how spectacularly that number has grown over the past ten years? Or in which municipalities internationals are mainly resident? We thought it would be interesting to list a few of these figures for you.

We asked economic research consultancy Decisio to have a look at the numbers for us and deliver some numbers that provide a clear perspective on the composition of the international community in the Maastricht region.

Internationals working in Zuid-Limburg

In 2019, there were 22,800 international knowledge workers and labour migrants employed in Zuid-Limburg. Back in 2010, the number was approximately 9,000. The number of working internationals in Zuid-Limburg is increasing by 11% each year. This is comparable to the national average growth (12%). Compared with the rest of the country, the number of internationals in the Maastricht Region is growing the fastest at a rate of 14% per year.

On average, between 2010 and 2019, there were 7,100 new international employees entering the Zuid-Limburg workforce each year. Two thirds were migrant workers.

Maastricht has been the most important municipality for international knowledge workers and labour migrants, followed by Sittard-Geleen and Heerlen (both with approximately 4,500 international employees). Kerkrade is also an important municipality of employment, particularly for labour migrants.

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Internationals living in Zuid-Limburg

In 2019, there were 16,900 international knowledge workers and labour migrants resident in Zuid-Limburg.

Back in 2010, there were 9,700 internationals resident in Zuid-Limburg. The number of international residents is increasing by 6% each year. This is comparable to the national average growth (7% per year). As with the numbers per work location, the number of internationals in the Maastricht Region is growing the fastest at a rate of 8% per year. In 2019, there were 9,525 internationals resident in the Maastricht Region.

Between 2010 and 2019, there was an average of 3,460 international knowledge workers and labour migrants entering the Zuid-Limburg workforce each year. From those, 82% were migrant workers.

Maastricht was the most important city for international knowledge workers and labour migrants between 2010 and 2019. About the same number of internationals live in Maastricht as work in Maastricht, that’s 8,100 and 8,205 respectively. Other important residential municipalities are Heerlen (2,190 internationals), Sittard-Geleen (1,840 internationals) and Kerkrade (1,275 internationals).

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Source: Monitor Internationale Werknemers, Decisio (2021)

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