Accessing Employment: Challenges Faced by Non-Native English-Speaking Professional Migrants

Abstract

This study attempted to identify the challenges faced by non-native English-speaking professional migrants seeking employment in New Zealand. Conducted in 2007, it involved twenty-two semi-structured interviews with professional migrants and four focus groups with recruitment consultants and migrant settlement agencies. The study uncovered a range of employment barriers. Except for a few who found jobs that matched their qualifications, the greater number of interviewees remained unemployed or accepted unskilled jobs while continuing to look for professional jobs commensurate with their qualifications. Unemployment and underemployment affected both the individuals and their families, leading to loss of income, self-esteem, confidence, and marital separation. Non-native English speaking professional migrants paid “ethnic penalties” on grounds of race and ethnicity. We recommend that recruitment agencies and employers recognize the potential contribution migrants bring to the workforce and that government agencies provide information and training in the area of workplace communication to enable professional migrants to gain employment.