GLOBALIZATION AND MIGRATION FLOWS. SOME EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON THE SPANISH LABOUR MARKET IN THE LAST DECADE

One of the main consequences of Globalization process is migrations flows. Migration has two sides; one is related to positive gains in the host country in that migration is a source of invaluable human resources and contributes to increase the production of goods and services. The other side has to do with the impact of immigrants on the native labour market especially on wages and employment conditions. Both effects will have an influence on the native income distribution. The case of Spain is unique in the context of Europe. Spain has been a traditional emigration country with a long history of emigration. This tradition has changed in recent years and now Spain has become an important country for immigration such as Germany or the USA. The immigration process in Spain has been strongly concentrated especially in recent years. This large flow of immi-grants, (over 5 millions in less than 15 years) has caused a strong impact on several political, social, demographic and economic aspects in Spain. One of the most important reasons for immigration into Spain is connected to the good evolution of the Spanish economy during the long period 1995-2007 and a similar evolution of the Labour Market. The impact of immigration flows is large, complex and shows different perspectives for th