Ex-Yugoslavs in the Austrian and Swedish labour markets: The significance of the period of migration and the effect of citizenship acquisition

Abstract

This paper assesses the labour market integration of ex-Yugoslav immigrants in Austria and Sweden in terms of three relevant structural characteristics of the two societies: immigration policies, labour markets and welfare regulations. The Austrian 1996 micro-census and the Swedish 1997 labour force survey data are utilised to explore the labour market attainment of ex-Yugoslav citizens in Austria and Sweden in terms of four outcomes: labour force participation, unemployment, economic sector concen tration and occupational status. The labour market situations of pre-1973 immigrants in Sweden and Austria were found to be quite similar, while more recent immigrants to Sweden show distinctly lower activity rates and higher unemployment risks compared to natives than do their counterparts who went to Austria. If successful in finding a job, recent Yugoslav immigrants in Sweden managed to enter more prestigious occupations than their compatriots in Austria, but immigrants in both countries are disadvantaged if compared to the native-born. The study demonstrates that, when controlling for period of migration, citizenship per se does not influence labour market outcomes in Sweden. In Austria, in contrast, non-citizens have higher risks of employment in the non-tertiary sector and hold jobs of lower occupational status.