Hospitality and administrative services - the industries most dependent on immigrant workers

Immigrants play a crucial role in the labor markets of developed countries, but their employment patterns differ significantly from those of native-born workers, according to visualcapitalist.com, which presents the jobs that foreign-born workers tend to work in OECD economies.

The data for this analysis comes from the OECD's International Migration Outlook 2025 report. It shows the share of foreign-born and native-born workers by industry, in several developed countries.

• Industries where immigrants are most concentrated

Hospitality and administrative services are notable for having the highest share of immigrants - over 16% in accommodation and food services and 17% in administrative services activities. These sectors often rely on flexible and seasonal labor, making them entry points for newcomers. In wholesale and retail trade, we find, according to the cited source, a share of 11.5% immigrant workers.

Construction has a modest concentration of immigrants (8.6%), reflecting the long-term demand for skilled and semi-skilled labor. And in manufacturing, we see a proportion of 8.6% foreign workers.

Together, these industries highlight the places where migration most visibly supports economic activity.

• Industries dominated by native workers

Public administration, health care and manufacturing have the largest gaps in favor of native workers. These fields usually require internal accreditations, security clearances or lengthy training courses.

Manufacturing also faces a persistent labor shortage, but remains much less accessible to immigrant workers upon entry. The result is a structural divide that limits immigrant participation in some of the largest sectors in terms of employment.

• Neutral or balanced sectors

A few industries, such as real estate, arts and entertainment, and other service activities, show almost no difference between the representation of foreign and native workers. These sectors may offer more flexible entry paths or a mix of roles in small businesses and freelancers.