Labour Market Integration

Abstract

When migrants are asked about their reasons for coming to Europe, the ‘search for a better life’ is a frequent response, and this motivation often includes the hope of finding better job opportunities than in the country of origin (Djaha, 2013; Jawad et al., 2016). Nonetheless, when they arrive and settle in Europe, migrants face obstacles to entering the labour market. Existing research shows that foreign-born persons are more likely to be unemployed, and, when in employment, are more likely to work in short-term or part-time positions than native-born persons (Arbetsmarknadsekonomiska radet, 2017). With length of stay in the host country, employment gaps narrow but do not fully disappear (Karlsdottir et al., 2017). This chapter will highlight current employment gaps across the Nordic Region between native and foreign-born persons. It will also highlight differences in employment rates within the diverse group of foreign-born migrants.