Developed countries are suffering from a lack of skilled workers, it has been claimed.
Relaxing UK immigration laws and adapting the rules governing UK work permits could help to fill gaps in the country's workforce, as it has been suggested that "strategic migration" has an important role to play in the global economic recovery.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum's third Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai, the chairman of the Skills and Talent Mobility Council, David Arkless, suggested that migration of skilled workers and trades people would help to fill shortages in the jobs markets of developed countries.
"Employers are struggling to find the right people, with the right skills in the right place at the right time, and this talent mismatch will only increase as working age populations decline in mature markets and a growing number of people in the developed world lack the skills employers need in today's market," said Mr Arkless.
He claimed that increased worker mobility is one solution to the issue, as "critical skills gaps mean companies and national economies need to attract foreign talent to ensure sustainable growth".
However, recent changes to UK immigration regulations may work against this plan, as the home secretary Theresa May has announced plans to limit the number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 UK work permits to 21,700.
Skilled workers' plans to immigrate to the UK could be further hampered by the fact that Tier 2 work permits will only be available to those of graduate status.
Industry groups, including the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have already expressed concern regarding the cuts to UK immigration.
The BHA suggested that specialist restaurants in the UK could be particularly badly affected as skilled chefs are likely to find it harder to acquire a work visa for the UK.