Access to jobs is recognised as a crucial factor in integrating people from different backgrounds into society, as is the provision of services that migrants can access fully and effectively, without discrimination. As local authorities are a major employer on the local labour market, they are at the forefront of the challenge of developing appropriate policies to integrate migrants and to ensure social cohesion and security for all urban dwellers.

The new report, the second output from the European Network of Cities for Local Integration Policy for Migrants (CLIP) project, looks at equality and diversity policies in city administrations in relation to employment as well as service provision for migrants. It documents numerous good practice examples showing how European cities are striving to ensure greater equality in their employment practices. Sefton (UK), for example, has set up a forum to facilitate the reporting of racist and hate crime; Amsterdam (NL) has involved members of its migrant communities in delivering healthcare services; and Frankfurt (DE) has broadened the scope of its job advertising to target migrant communities.

The report also identifies key challenges for city administrations in relation to migrants, such as the lack of information and knowledge regarding employment levels and working conditions of migrants; the relative under-representation of migrants in local authority employment in comparison to local labour market levels; and the representation of migrants in middle and higher positions in public authorities.

The report provides an important evidence-based contribution to the EU policy debate on diversity and integration of migrants, which is widely neglected, and it sets out recommendations for policymakers at EU, national and municipal level. The report is aimed at filling an important knowledge gap and is published jointly with the Council of Europe and three cities: Amsterdam, Stuttgart and Vienna.

Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, is a European Union body, working in a specialised area of EU policy. Specifically, it was set up by the European Council to contribute to the planning and design of better living and working conditions in Europe.