Zitatform

Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark, Ulrika Vikman & Gülay Özcan (2024): Labor market integration of refugees: RCT evidence from an early intervention program in Sweden. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 217, S. 614-630. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2023.11.026

Abstract

"This study uses a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a new program for increased labor market integration of refugees. The new program starts shortly after the residence permit is granted and uses three main components: early and intensive language training, work practice with supervisors, and job search assistance performed by professional caseworkers. The immediate and intensive assistance contrasts previous integration policies which typically constitute low-intensive help over long periods of time. We find large positive effects on employment of the program, with magnitudes corresponding to around 15 percentage points. A mediation analysis shows that 7–8 percent of the impact of the program seems to be explained by increases in documented language skills. Cost estimates suggest that the new policy is less expensive than earlier labor market programs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Ek, Simon, Mats Hammarstedt & Per Skedinger (2024): Low-skilled jobs, language proficiency, and job opportunities for refugees: an experimental study. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 126, H. 2, S. 355-386. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12549

Abstract

"In a field experiment, we study the causal effects of previous experience and language skills when newly arrived Syrian refugees in Sweden apply for low ‐skilled jobs. We find no evidence of sizable effects from previous experience or completed language classes on the probability of receiving a callback from employers. However, female applicants were more likely than males to receive a positive response. As a complement to the experiment, we interview a select number of employers, which provides additional insights into how they judge candidates for low‐skilled jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Aslund, Olof, Linus Liljeberg & Sara Roman (2023): The long-term integration of European refugees. Swedish experiences after the Yugoslav Wars. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2023,16), Uppsala, 35 S.

Abstract

"We study the short- and long-term economic and social integration of European war refugees. The population under study left former Yugoslavia for Sweden in the early 1990s. In the first years, there were significant human capital investments in language training, adult education, and active labor market programs. The Yugoslav refugees then exhibited a remarkably sharp increase in employment and earnings, possibly helped by improving labor markets and pre-existing contacts in Sweden. Many entered jobs in manufacturing and service industries and remained there to a considerable extent. Among those above 50 at arrival, labor market outcomes were not as good. Despite strong development during the early years, the long-term labor market position of the Yugoslavs is broadly on par with previous cohorts of refugees. Residential segregation first increased and then declined, whereas workplace segregation was most marked among the early entrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bernert-Bürkle, Andrea, Paolo Federighi & Francesca Torlone (Hrsg.) (2023): The Fast Track Labour Market Integration of Immigrants. Work-related Learning of Culture, Language and Profession. Bielefeld: wbv Publikation, 142 S. DOI:10.3278/9783763966899

Abstract

"Vorgestellt werden Ergebnisse des europäischen Modellprojekts TALENTS zur schnellen Integration von Migrant:innen und Geflüchteten in den ersten Arbeitsmarkt. Ausgehend von der Idee, dass Teilhabe am Arbeitsmarkt die gesellschaftliche Integration fördert, verbindet das Trainingsmodell Arbeitserfahrungen in Betriebspraktika mit sprachlichen, kulturellen und beruflichen Inhalten, die im Klassenverband erlernt werden. Die Autor:innen evaluieren die Ergebnisse des Trainingsmodells aus drei Jahren in Norwegen, Schweden und Deutschland. Die ausgewerteten Daten spiegeln die Erfahrungen von 400 Teilnehmenden. 20 Fallstudien ermöglichen detaillierte Analysen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Bratu, Cristina, Linna Martén & Lillit Ottosson (2023): Individualized Benefits And Access To Active Labor Market Programs Boost Refugee Women's Economic Integration. (Working paper / Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) 2023,03), Stockholm, 16 S.

Abstract

"The economic and social integration of refugees is a key policy concern. The situation of refugee women is particularly challenging, as many never enter the labor force. We study a reform of the Swedish integration program that aimed to tackle this issue by increasing women’s participation in and access to active labor market programs. Using administrative data and a regression discontinuity design, we show that the reform resulted in lasting improvements in women’s earnings and employment. We find no effects for men. Additional analyses suggest that individualizing benefits and early registration with the Public Employment Service are key mechanisms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark & Ulrika Vikman (2023): Long-run integration of refugees: RCT evidence from a Swedish early intervention program. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2023,23), Uppsala, 53 S.

Abstract

"This study uses a randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate a new program for increased labor market integration of refugees. The program has immediate and substantial short-run effects on employment, corresponding to around 15 percentage points. The effect lasts for three years but eventually fades out, as the control group catches up and reaches the long-run employment level of about 50 percent. We show that the program boosts language skills in the short run, and that this channel explains an increasing share of the effect on employment. Using survey data, we finally measure if the program affects integration in other dimensions, such as psychological, social, political, and navigational integration. Our findings suggest that faster labor market integration in the short run does not lead to increased general integration in the long run." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bertoli, Simone, Herbert Brücker & Jesús Fernández-Huertas Moraga (2022): Do applications respond to changes in asylum policies in European countries? In: Regional Science and Urban Economics, Jg. 93, 2022-01-19. DOI:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2022.103771

Abstract

"We analyze the role of origin-destination-time specific policy measures in shaping the location choices of asylum seekers across European countries. We estimate a gravity equation that reflects the uncertainty that asylum seekers face concerning the chances of obtaining refugee protection, the processing time and the risk of repatriation. German efforts to expand their processing capacity are correlated with a significant increase in applications from origins with high recognition rates, which were mostly diverted away from Sweden. For Syrians, the observed variations in processing times increased applications in Germany by 16.1 percent, and led to a 35.3 percent reduction in Sweden between 2014 and 2015." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark, Gulay Ozcan & Ulrika Vikman (2022): Labor Market Integration of Refugees. RCT Evidence from an Early Intervention Program in Sweden. (arXiv papers), 21 S.

Abstract

"This study uses a randomized control trial to evaluate a new program for increased labor market integration of refugees. The program introduces highly intensive assistance immediately after the residence permit is granted. The early intervention strategy contrasts previous integration policies, which typically constitute low-intensive help over long periods of time. We find positive effects on employment of the program. The magnitude of the effect is substantial, corresponding to around 15 percentage points. Our cost estimates suggest that the new policy is less expensive than comparable labor market programs used in the past." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

de Montgomery, Christopher Jamil, Marie Norredam, Allan Krasnik, Jørgen Holm Petersen, Emma Björkenstam, Lisa Berg, Anders Hjern, Marit Sijbrandij, Peter Klimek & Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz (2022): Labour market marginalisation in young refugees and their majority peers in Denmark and Sweden: The role of common mental disorders and secondary school completion. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 17, H. 2. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263450

Abstract

"Due to the circumstances of their early lives, young refugees are at risk of experiencing adverse labour market and health outcomes. The post-settlement environment is thought to play a decisive role in determining how this vulnerability plays out. This study compared trends in labour market marginalisation in young refugees and their majority peers during early adulthood in two national contexts, Denmark and Sweden, and explored the mediating role of common mental disorders and secondary school completions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Backman, Mikaela, Esteban Lopez & Francisco Rowe (2021): The occupational trajectories and outcomes of forced migrants in Sweden. Entrepreneurship, employment or persistent inactivity? In: Small business economics, Jg. 56, H. 3, S. 963-983. DOI:10.1007/s11187-019-00312-z

Abstract

"The current surge in forced migration to Europe is probably the largest and most complex since the Second World War. As population aging accelerates and fertility falls below replacement level, immigration may be seen as a key component of human capital to address labor and skill shortages. Receiving countries are, however, hesitant about the contribution that forced migrants can make to the local economy. Coupled with increasing pressure on welfare services, they are associated with increased job competition and crime. Underutilization of immigrants' skills is, however, a waste of resources that countries can scarcely afford. Understanding the labor market integration process of forced migrants is thus critical to develop policies that unleash their full skills potential and ultimately foster local economic productivity. While prior studies have examined the employment and salary outcomes of these immigrants at a particular point in time post-migration, they have failed to capture the temporal dynamics and complexity of this process. Drawing on administrative data from Sweden, we examine the occupational pathways of forced migrants using sequence analysis from their arrival in 1991 through to 2013. Findings reveal polarized pathways of long-term labor market integration with over one-third of refugees experiencing a successful labor market integration pathway and an equally large share facing a less fruitful employment outcomes. Our findings suggest education provision is key to promote a more successful integration into the local labor market by reducing barriers of cultural proximity and increasing the occurrence of entrepreneurship activity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Klaesson, Johan & Esteban Lopez (2021): Ethnic enclaves and segregation - self-employment and employment patterns among forced migrants. In: Small business economics, Jg. 56, H. 3, S. 985-1006. DOI:10.1007/s11187-019-00313-y

Abstract

"The relevance of residential segregation and ethnic enclaves for labor market sorting of immigrants has been investigated by a large body of literature. Previous literature presents competing arguments and mixed results for the effects of segregation and ethnic concentration on various labor market outcomes. The geographical size of the area at which segregation and/or ethnic concentration is measured, however, is left to empirical work to determine. We argue that ethnic concentration and segregation should not be used interchangeably, and more importantly, the geographical area at which they are measured relates directly to different mechanisms. We use a probabilistic approach to identify the likelihood that an immigrant is employed or a self-employed entrepreneur in the year 2005 with respect to residential segregation and ethnic concentration at the level of the neighborhood, municipality, and local labor market level jointly. We study three groups of immigrants that accentuate the differences between forced and pulled migrants: (i) the first 15 member states of European Union (referred to as EU 15) and the Nordic countries, (ii) the Balkan countries, and (iii) countries in the Middle East. We find that ethnic enclaves, proxied by ethnic concentration at varying levels, indicate mixed results for the different immigrant groups we study, both for their employment and entrepreneurship probability, whereas residential segregation has a more uniformly distributed result where its relationship to any of the two labor market outcomes is almost always negative or insignificant." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Baum, Christopher F., Hans Lööf, Andreas Stephan & Klaus F. Zimmermann (2020): Occupational Sorting and Wage Gaps of Refugees. (CEPR discussion paper 14917), London, 58 S.

Abstract

"Refugee workers start low and adjust slowly to the wages of comparable natives. The innovative approach in this study using unique Swedish employer-employee data shows that the observed wage gap between established refugees and comparable natives is mainly caused by occupational sorting into cognitive and manual tasks. Within occupations, it can be largely explained by differences in work experience. The identification strategy relies on a control group of matched natives with the same characteristics as the refugees, using panel data for 2003-2013 to capture unobserved heterogeneity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Dahlberg, Matz, Johan Egebark, Ulrika Vikman & Gülay Özcan (2020): Labor market integration of low-educated refugees. RCT evidence from an ambitious integration program in Sweden. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2020,21), Bonn, 25 S.

Abstract

"This paper evaluates an ambitious and newly designed program for increased integration in Sweden. The purpose of the program is to help newly arrived, low-educated refugees into employment. The program includes four main components: (1) intensive initial language training,(2)work practice under close supervision, (3) job search assistance, and (4) extended cooperation between the local public sector and firms. An important feature of the program is that the demand side of the labor market, represented by the largest real estate company in Gothenburg, is involved in designing the program. Our evaluation is based on a randomized controlled trial, where potential participants in one of the first waves were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The paper presents results from the first two years after randomization. Using inference based on Fisher's exact test, we show that the program has positive effects on employment: around 30 % of the individuals in the treatment group are employed each month during the first year following the end of the program, compared to an average of approximately 15 % in the control group." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Fossati, Flavia & Fabienne Liechti (2020): Integrating refugees through active labour market policy: A comparative survey experiment. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 30, H. 5, S. 601-615. DOI:10.1177/0958928720951112

Abstract

"In the wake of the recent increase in the inflows of refugees to Europe, governments have made considerable investments in public policies aimed at facilitating the labour market integration of refugees. Despite these efforts, the labour market participation of refugees remains low. This situation raises the question of whether employers actually appreciate these public policies and whether refugees’ participation in specific active labour market policies (ALMPs), such as work practice or wage subsidies, increases their likelihood of being hired. In this article, we take a novel approach and combine employers’ evaluations of specific ALMPs with their attitudes towards refugees. We argue that these labour market policies can only be successful when employers hold positive attitudes towards refugees in the first place. We investigate this question by means of a factorial survey experiment with employers in Austria, Germany and Sweden. Our results show that, indeed, employers’ evaluations of fictional refugee candidates who participated in ALMPs are influenced by their attitudes towards this group. Participation in these policy measures is regarded positively only by those employers who already hold positive attitudes towards refugees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jutvik, Kristoffer & Darrel Robinson (2020): Permanent or temporary settlement? A study on the short-term effects of residence status on refugees' labour market participation. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 8. DOI:10.1186/s40878-020-00203-3

Abstract

"Whether refugees in need of protection should be granted long- or short-term residence permits in the host country upon arrival is a long-standing debate in the migration policy and scholarly literature. Rights-based models of inclusion advocate for secure and long-term residency status arguing that this will provide the foundations for successful inclusion. Responsibilities-based models on the other hand claim that migrants should only be granted such status if certain criteria, such as full-time employment, have been met, again under the belief that such a system will facilitate inclusion into the host society. Using a sudden policy change as a natural experiment combined with detailed Swedish registry data, we examine the effect permanent residency on three measures of labour market inclusion in the short-term. Our findings are twofold. On the one hand, we find that temporary residents that are subject to a relatively less-inclusive situation have higher incomes and less unemployment. However, at the same time, they are less likely to spend time in education than are those with permanent residency." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Vogiazides, Louisa & Hernan Mondani (2020): A geographical path to integration? Exploring the interplay between regional context and labour market integration among refugees in Sweden. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 46, H. 1, S. 23-45. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2019.1588717

Abstract

"Migrant integration is an issue at the forefront of political debates in many immigrant-receiving countries. Within academia, a rich body of neighbourhood effects literature examines the significance of the residential environment for the socioeconomic integration of international migrants. Another strand of research explores the associations between immigrants' initial region of residence and their subsequent socioeconomic integration. Existing research focuses on a single dimension of geographical context and on the neighbourhood scale. Using Swedish longitudinal register data, we estimate discrete-time event history models to assess how regional and neighbourhood contexts influence refugees' entry into employment. Our study includes all refugees who arrived in Sweden between 2000 and 2009, distinguishing between three categories of refugees: refugees with assigned housing, refugees with self-arranged housing and quota refugees. Our results reveal a clear pattern where the most advantageous regions for finding a first employment are those at the extremes of the population density distribution: the Stockholm region and small city/rural regions. Refugees residing in Malmö have the lowest probability of entering the labour market. Our study also reiterates existing concerns regarding the negative effects of ethnic segregation at the neighbourhood level on labour market participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bevelander, Pieter, Fernando Mata & Ravi Pendakur (2019): Housing policy and employment outcomes for refugees. In: International Migration, Jg. 57, H. 3, S. 134-154. DOI:10.1111/imig.12569

Abstract

"With the rise of refugee flows in both Europe and North America, resettlement policies and programmes aimed at enhancing the integration of refugees have come to the fore. The goal of this article is to look at the impact of asylum reception policies on longer term integration. Internationally such policies can range from placing asylum seekers in reception centres (the Netherlands) to dispersal policies aimed at locating asylum seekers in smaller centres (Denmark) to an open system such as Canada in which asylum seekers are pushed into the free market as soon as they are processed. Our study explores this issue through the analysis of a unique policy in Sweden allowing us to focus on the housing choice made by asylum seekers arriving at the border." (Text excerpt, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Bešić, Almina, Klára Fóti, Veronika Vasileva, Petra van Nierop, Elbereth Puts, Norma Rose, Irina Ulcica, Dóra Vajai & Regina Konle-Seidl (2019): Role of public services in integrating refugees and asylum seekers. (Eurofound research report / European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), Luxembourg, 58 S. DOI:10.2806/595692

Abstract

"This study explores the role of public services in the social integration of refugees and asylum seekers. It focuses not only on employment, but also on aspects such as housing, social inclusion, health and education services. It examines a range of integration measures adopted in five EU Member States (Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden) in an attempt to identify the main challenges and the lessons learnt. The countries selected vary in terms of the scale of the inflow, tradition of receiving refugees, labour market conditions, social assistance systems and presence of other migrant groups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Crul, Maurice, Frans Lelie, Özge Biner, Nihad Bunar, Elif Keskiner, Ifigenia Kokkali, Jens Schneider & Maha Shuayb (2019): How the different policies and school systems affect the inclusion of Syrian refugee children in Sweden, Germany, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 7, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1186/s40878-018-0110-6

Abstract

"Since the war in Syria started in 2011, many children left their war-torn country, alone or together with their families, and fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East, to Turkey or to Europe. This article will compare how Syrian refugee children are included - or not - in school systems both in Europe (Sweden, Germany and Greece) and outside Europe (Turkey and Lebanon). These five countries represent very different ways of receiving children in their educational system. We will compare national institutional arrangements like access to compulsory school, access after compulsory school age, welcome or immersion classes, second language education and tracking mechanisms. Including children as soon as possible in regular classes seems to provide the best chances for school success, whereas educating refugee children in a segregated parallel school system for extended periods often results in early school leaving or not attending school at all." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Ruist, Joakim (2019): The fiscal lifetime cost of receiving refugees. (CReAM discussion paper 2019,02), London, 18 S.

Abstract

"This study estimates the fiscal consequences of receiving refugees, over the refugees' lifetime. It uses data from Sweden in 2015, and the calculations account for refugees' age, years since immigration, and country of origin. The estimated average annual fiscal net contribution over the lifetime of the average refugee (58 years) ranges from - 12 per cent of GDP per capita for refugees from the countries of origin for which labor market performance has historically been the strongest, to - 22 per cent for those for which it has been the weakest. The estimates imply that if the European Union received all refugees currently in Asia and Africa, the implied average annual fiscal cost over the same time span would be at most 0.6 per cent of GDP." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

OECD (2019): How do OECD countries compare in their attractiveness for talented migrants? (Migration policy debates 19), Paris, 8 S.

Abstract

"Talented and skilled individuals have a key role to play in countries' future prosperity. They hold jobs that are key for innovation and technological progress and ultimately contribute to stronger economic growth with other employment opportunities and better living conditions for all. OECD countries increasingly compete to attract and retain talented workers notably by adopting more favourable migration policies for the best and the brightest. This competition has led to a convergence of policy frameworks but significant differences in policies and practices remain. Beyond conditions for migration, many other factors contribute to shape countries' attractiveness for foreign talent.
This issue of Migration Policy Debates presents the results of the first edition of the OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness, developed by the OECD with support from the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness (ITA) measure for the first time the relative attractiveness of countries from a multidimensional perspective focusing on three types of talented migrants: highly skilled workers at master/PhD level, international students in tertiary education and foreign entrepreneurs. This aims at better understanding and comparing strengths and weaknesses of different OECD countries and can help elaborating public policies that are more effective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Konle-Seidl, Regina (2018): Integration of refugees in Austria, Germany and Sweden. Comparative analysis. Brüssel, 60 S.

Abstract

"This note presents a comparative analysis of policies and practices to facilitate the labour market integration of beneficiaries of international protection in the main destination countries of asylum seekers in 2015/2016, namely Austria, Germany and Sweden. It focuses on the development of policy strategies to adapt the asylum and integration system to the high numbers of new arrivals. Special attention is given to the political discourse and public opinion on asylum and integration of refugees. Innovative approaches with respect to labour market integration are highlighted as well as gaps. Finally, the study includes lessons learned from recent policy developments as well as policy recommendations in order to improve labour market integration of asylum seekers and refugees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Manhica, Hélio, Lisa Berg, Ylva B. Almquist, Mikael Rostila & Anders Hjern (2018): Labour market participation among young refugees in Sweden and the potential of education. A national cohort study. In: Journal of youth studies, Jg. 22, H. 4, S. 533-550. DOI:10.1080/13676261.2018.1521952

Abstract

"This register-based study examined the importance of education on labour market participation among young refugees in Sweden. The study population consisted of unaccompanied (n?=?1606) and accompanied refuges (n?=?4142), aged 23-26 years in 2006 - 2010, after 7 years of residence in Sweden. Native Swedish, aged 24 years (n?=?347,255) constituted the comparison population, with intercountry adoptees (n?=?6689) as an alternative reference group. Gender-stratified multinomial regression models indicated that unaccompanied and accompanied male and female young refugees had higher risks of being in insecure work force and NEET compared to native Swedes with comparable levels of education. However, young refugees and intercountry adoptees with primary education had similar risks of poor labour market outcomes. The educational differences within each group concerning the risk of being in insecure work force were comparable. With the exception of unaccompanied females, secondary education seemed to be less protective against being in NEET among young refugees compared to native Swedes and intercountry adoptees. We conclude that while young refugees face employment disadvantages, education has the potential of mitigating poor labour market outcomes in this group." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Schultz, Caroline, Dana Wagner & Stefanie Allemann (2018): Labour mobility for refugees and asylum seekers. Mending or eroding protection systems? In: FluchtforschungsBlog.

Abstract

"Several countries are implementing or exploring policies to enable refugees or asylum seekers to access labour migration. While political motives and policy means are varied, the practices can be classified as pre-arrival and post-arrival, and lessons can be derived from their comparison. Comparing five unique practices, the authors make two main policy recommendations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Die Integration von Migranten geschieht dort, wo die Menschen sind: an ihren Arbeitsplätzen, in ihrer Nachbarschaft oder in Schulen. 'Working Together for Local Integration of Migrants and Refugees' beschreibt, wie lokale und übergeordnete Behörden sowie Regierungs- und Nichtregierungsakteure zusammenarbeiten müssen, damit Integration gelingt. Der OECD-Bericht stützt sich dabei auf quantitative und qualitative Daten aus 72 Städten, darunter neun große europäische Städte (Amsterdam, Athen, Barcelona, Berlin, Glasgow, Göteborg, Paris, Rom und Wien) und die nordrhein-westfälische Kleinstadt Altena, zu denen tiefergehende Einzelfallstudien erstellt wurden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Arora-Jonsson, Seema (2017): Development and integration at a crossroads. Culture, race and ethnicity in rural Sweden. In: Environment and Planning. A, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Jg. 49, H. 7, S. 1594-1612. DOI:10.1177/0308518X17701130

Abstract

"The recent arrival of refugees in rural Sweden has raised hopes that they might stave off the depopulation of the country's periphery and lead to its development. Despite these visions in policy and in some academic literature, there is little research on how immigrant encounters with development and integration practices take shape on the ground. Critical research on immigrant integration in Sweden focuses on urban areas where most immigrants live. Rural areas, with sparse populations, weak economic positions vis a vis cities and increased policy pressures to define themselves as uniquely competitive, stand at a crossroads as they grapple with developing their areas and integrating newcomers. A less visible, but no less decisive crossroads is the vision of multiculturalism grounded in current institutions for democracy, in contrast to the road that I suggest we need to take - one that turns a critical eye on the relations that constitute the culture and institutions for integration and rural development. Drawing on long term ethnographic fieldwork in the province of Hälsingland and on Bourdieu's conceptualization of misrecognition as well as critical race theories, I probe the 'misrecognition' of the rural and of institutions for integration and democracy in Sweden. I argue that the misrecognition of voluntary associations as the template for democracy for all and dominant discourses on what constitutes rural culture, inadvertently embody racial undertones that need to be confronted - both in theorizing and in practice - if aspirations for a multicultural democracy are to be taken as seriously as they must." (Author's abstract, © 2017 a Pion publication) ((en))

Zitatform

Breidahl, Karen N. (2017): Scandinavian exceptionalism? Civic integration and labour market activation for newly arrived immigrants. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 5, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1186/s40878-016-0045-8

Abstract

"Since the late 1990s, a wide range of so-called new civic integration policies aimed at civilizing or disciplining newcomers have been introduced. Consequently, migration scholars have discussed whether a converging restrictive 'civic turn' has taken place in Western Europe or whether national models have been resilient: Based on an in-depth historical and comparative analysis of labour market activation policies targeting newly arrived immigrants in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark since the early 1990s, the article contributes to the overall question: To what extent do the institutional pathways of the Scandinavian welfare states prevail when confronted with newcomers? Activation policies targeting newly arrived immigrants exemplifies how the ambition of states to promote functional, individual autonomy is also an important, ongoing process in diverse policy areas of the welfare state and not restricted to early integration instruments.
While the Scandinavian welfare states differ on a number of counts with respect to immigration control, national integration philosophies and citizenship policies, the article outlines how activation policies aimed at newly arrived immigrants share several features. One of the key factors in this turn involves path dependency from, among others, a lengthy tradition for strong state involvement and norms about employment. Another factor in this turn involves transnational policy learning. On some points, national versions of these policies are also found due to country-specific citizenship traditions, integration philosophies and party political constellations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Cochran Bech, Emily, Karin Borevi & Per Mouritsen (2017): A 'civic turn' in Scandinavian family migration policies? Comparing Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In: Comparative Migration Studies, Jg. 5, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1186/s40878-016-0046-7

Abstract

"Family migration policy, once basing citizens and resident foreigners' possibilities to bring in foreign family members mainly on the right to family life, is increasingly a tool states use to limit immigration and to push newcomers to integrate into civic and economic life. The family migration policies of Denmark, Norway and Sweden range widely - from more minimal support and age requirements to high expectations of language skills, work records and even income levels. While in Denmark and increasingly in Norway growing sets of requirements have been justified on the need to protect the welfare state and a Nordic liberal way of life, in Sweden more minimal requirements have been introduced in the name of spurring immigrants' labor market integration even as rights-based reasoning has continued to dominate. In all three countries, new restrictions have been introduced in the wake of the refugee crisis. These cases show how prioritizations of the right to family life vis-à-vis welfare-state sustainability have produced different rules for family entry, and how family migration policies are used to different extents to push civic integration of both new and already settled immigrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Irastorza, Nahikari & Pieter Bevelander (2017): The labour market participation of humanitarian migrants in Sweden. An overview. In: Intereconomics, Jg. 52, H. 5, S. 270-277. DOI:10.1007/s10272-017-0689-0

Abstract

"The aim of this article was twofold: first, to provide an overview of immigration and integration policies in Sweden, and second, to analyse the labour market integration of humanitarian migrants who arrived in Sweden between 1998 and 2012 relative to other migrants and natives." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Lundborg, Per & Per Skedinger (2017): Minimum wages and the integration of refugee immigrants. (Swedish Institute for Social Research. Working paper 2014,04), Stockholm, 23 S.

Abstract

"This paper is the first to estimate the effects of minimum wages on the unemployment of refugee immigrants. The collectively agreed minimum wages raise both the incidence of unemployment and days in unemployment considerably for Swedish male refugees; different estimation methods and models yield robust elasticities in the 1.8 - 2.0 range. The effects for young natives are about half as large. There are heterogeneous effects with regard to country of origin and time of residence in Sweden for both male and female refugees. We account for spatial trends - a concern in some of the recent literature - as well as industrial trends. It turns out that only the latter affect our results." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Månsson, Jonas & Lennart Delander (2017): Mentoring as a way of integrating refugees into the labour market. Evidence from a Swedish pilot scheme. In: Economic analysis and policy [Elektronische Ressource] : EAP ; journal of the Economic Society of Australia, Jg. 56, H. December, S. 51-59. DOI:10.1016/j.eap.2017.08.002

Abstract

"Despite the fact that mentoring is used as a mean to increase the speed of labour market integration for immigrants around the world there is little evidence of the impacts of this type of programme. This study investigates the impact of a Swedish mentoring programme on the labour market status of newly arrived refugees. The key finding is that mentoring as a universal 'quick fix' does not attract a great deal of support. However, mentoring does show promise for males for whom a positive and significant impact when the outcome is defined as a yearly income exceeding one basic amount (appx. 4200 euro). For females, no short-term effect is found, although it is suggested the absence of an impact may be due to lock-in effects in other labour market programmes." (Author's abstract, © Economic Society of Australia (Queensland)(year)) ((en))

Zitatform

Çelikaksoy, Aycan & Eskil Wadensjö (2017): Refugee youth in Sweden who arrived as unaccompanied minors and separated children. In: Journal of Refugee Studies, Jg. 30, H. 4, S. 530-553. DOI:10.1093/jrs/few042

Abstract

"The number of children fleeing and/or seeking asylum alone without parents or guardians has been increasing during the last decade worldwide, where Sweden has been receiving the largest number of asylum claims by unaccompanied minors in Europe. Despite the growing interest in the situation of this group in destination countries, there is a lack of research articles that address this group with nationwide comprehensive data. This study examines the labour-market situation of the whole population of the refugee youth who entered Sweden as unaccompanied minors or separated children and were registered during the years 2003 - 12. We investigate whether this group is in a disadvantageous situation regarding labour-market incorporation compared to their counterparts who arrived with their families due to their specific marginalized and vulnerable position within society. The results show that this group exhibits capacity and resilience in terms of finding employment and willingness to work. The results are discussed with a structural incorporation framework from a reception and integration policy perspective as well as from an immigrant wellbeing and a 'whole-child' approach." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Andersson Joona, Pernilla, Alma Wennemo Lanninger & Marianne Sundström (2016): Reforming the integration of refugees. The Swedish experience. (IZA discussion paper 10307), Bonn, 30 S.

Abstract

"In this paper we evaluate the Swedish Establishment Reform, carried out in 2010 with the goal of speeding up the establishment of refugees and their family. From December 1, 2010 the reform transferred the responsibility for the integration of newly-arrived refugees from the municipalities to the government funded Public Employment Service through which those eligible should get establishment talks, individual plans and coaches. The Reform was motivated by concern over the low employment level and slow integration of refugees. Our approach is to compare the outcomes of the Treatment group, which took part in establishment activities and arrived between December 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011, to those of the Comparison group, which arrived in the eleven months preceding the Reform and participated in municipal introduction programs, controlling for a rich set of observables, including country of birth and month of residence permit. Outcomes are measured in terms of employment and earnings in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for the Treatment group and in 2011, 2012 and 2013 for the Comparison group. Our data comes from registers held by Statistics Sweden and covers all immigrants. The results suggest positive and significant effects of the Reform. In the second year after program-start the Treatment group had about 5.7 percent higher probability of employment and in the third year about 7.5 percent higher. The effects on earnings were larger, about 20 percent higher earnings for the Treatment group after the second year and about 22 percent higher after the third year." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Barslund, Mikkel, Matthias Busse, Karolien Lenaerts, Lars Ludolph & Vilde Renman (2016): Labour market integration of refugees. A comparative survey of Bosnians in five EU countries. (CEPS special report 155), Brüssel, 27 S.

Abstract

"This study traces the integration experience of Bosnian refugees from the Balkan wars with the aim of drawing lessons for the current wave of refugees entering Europe. Integration is a slow-moving process. Looking closely at Bosnian refugees enables us to see past immediate integration outcomes and take a longer-term view. Another consideration in the design of this study is that there is significant overlap among the countries affected by the two refugee crises. Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden all saw a large absolute and relative influx of refugees in both 2015 and in the years between 1992 and 1995, when the largest share of Bosnians arrived in Western Europe. The study carries out an in-depth examination of their labour market integration in those five countries.
This research was funded by the Mercator Foundation in the context of the MEDAM Project (Mercator Dialogue on Asylum and Migration)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Djuve, Anne Britt (2016): Refugee migration - a crisis for the Nordic model? Berlin, 15 S.

Abstract

"- The influx of refugees was subject of particular attention also in the Nordic countries. Issues that were especially discussed involved consequences for the individual welfare states as well as effects on the Nordic model in general. Here, a joint discussion between the Nordics about strategies and measures is required urgently.
-?? The Nordic model's conditions include a combination of a comprehensive welfare state, collective bargaining, labor market regulation and free market capitalism. These pillars are mutually dependent and are based on high employment rates and universal welfare provision. Even given a successful (labor market) integration of the recently arrived, considerable costs will arise. The Nordic welfare states are though able to successfully meet these challenges.
-?? In order to achieve a positive labor market integration (what in turn is required for the functioning of the Nordic model), measures addressing the mismatch of competences, discrimination and the growing competition especially in the low-wage sector have to be developed. For a successful and sustainable integration, the only reasonable alternative would be offering qualification programs for refugees enabling them to enter the labor market. Only paying for their social integration outside the labor market or reducing general labor costs on the employer side would not reach far enough and also threaten the Nordic model in the end.
-?? The challenge to integrate newly arrived refugees both in the society and in the labor market by clearing competence mismatches can also help to develop general education policies. Also, the current refugee-situation may contribute to a strengthened cooperation between the Nordics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Fóti, Klára & Andrea Fromm (2016): Approaches to the labour market integration of refugees and asylum seekers. (Eurofound research report / European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), Dublin, 54 S. DOI:10.2806/18416

Abstract

"This report expands on existing research on the labour market integration of refugees and asylum seekers as a response to the refugee crisis. It updates information on legislation and practical arrangements in the first half of 2016, examines labour market integration in the broader context of receiving asylum seekers and supporting both them and refugees, and explores the role of the social partners. The study finds that the main countries affected made many efforts to provide faster and easier access to their labour markets for asylum seekers. In some, the social partners have been active in designing more effective labour market integration policies and have launched some promising initiatives. The sudden and large inflow of asylum seekers, however, posed many challenges, and it remains to be seen how those obstacles can be overcome." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Konle-Seidl, Regina (2016): Labour market integration of refugees. Strategies and good practices. Brüssel, 55 S.

Abstract

"This Policy Department A study provides the Employment and Social Affairs Committee with an analytical review of literature to identify key elements of a strategy for labour market integration of refugees. Strategies and policies are illustrated by examples and good practices from various Member States based upon evidence or expert assessment. The study finds a high degree of international consensus on key elements for a successful integration strategy taking up lessons from the past and research findings. However, a number of challenges for research and policy remain." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Konle-Seidl, Regina (2016): Arbeitsintegration von Flüchtlingen - Determinanten und Erfahrungen in europäischen Ländern. In: Wirtschaftspolitische Blätter, Jg. 63, H. 3, S. 607-621.

Abstract

"Der Beitrag geht auf wesentliche Determinanten der Arbeitsintegration von Fluchtmigranten ein, zeigt noch bestehende rechtliche Hürden des Arbeitsmarktzugangs auf und diskutiert arbeits-und integrationsfördernde Unterstützungsmaßnahmen vor dem Hintergrund der bisherigen Erfahrungen mit der Integration von Flüchtlingen in Europa." (Autorenreferat, © MANZ Verlag, Wien)
Der Beitrag ist eine gekürzte und aktualisierte Fassung einer Studie zur Arbeitsintegration von Flüchtlingen, die Frau Konle-Seidl für das Europäische Parlament verfasst hat.

Zitatform

Lundborg, Per & Per Skedinger (2016): Employer attitudes towards refugee immigrants. Findings from a Swedish survey. In: International Labour Review, Jg. 155, H. 2, S. 315-337. DOI:10.1111/ilr.12026

Abstract

"Based on a large-scale survey of Swedish firms, the authors identify significant heterogeneity in their attitudes towards refugee hiring, job performance, wage setting and discrimination, though experience of employing refugees reduces negative attitudes. Firms' reasons for discontinuing their employment of refugees are not related to discrimination by staff or customers, but rather to refugees' suboptimal job performance. While the majority of firms do not regard the collectively agreed minimum wages as an important obstacle to the hiring of refugees, firms with a large share of refugees on the payroll report that reducing those wage rates would enhance employment substantially." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Parusel, Bernd (2016): Das Asylsystem Schwedens. Gütersloh, 30 S.

Abstract

"Die schwedische Migrations- und Integrationspolitik wird international oft als progressiv und ambitioniert wahrgenommen. Und obwohl es durchaus Herausforderungen gibt, etwa einen Mangel an bezahlbaren Mietwohnungen und eine schleppend verlaufende Arbeitsmarktintegration neu zuziehender Flüchtlinge, bekennt sich die Regierung zu einer positiven Sicht auf Migration.
Auf der Internetseite der Regierung ist zu lesen, man ziele darauf ab, eine 'langfristige und nachhaltige Migrationspolitik' aufrechtzuerhalten, mit der 'das Recht auf Asyl gewahrt wird und im Rahmen einer gesteuerten Migration die grenzüberschreitende Mobilität erleichtert, bedarfsorientierte Arbeitsmigration gefördert, die positiven Effekte von Migration für Entwicklung verstärkt und die Europäische und internationale Kooperation vertieft werden soll.'
Nichtsdestotrotz vollzog Schweden im Herbst 2015 in der Asylpolitik eine drastische Kehrtwende. Angesichts massiver Engpässe bei der Registrierung, Unterbringung und Versorgung der im Zuge der 'Flüchtlingskrise' immer zahlreicher ins Land kommenden Asylsuchenden kündigte die Regierung im Oktober und November 2015 in zwei Schritten einen Katalog von Maßnahmen an, mit dem der Asylbewerberzuzug drastisch gesenkt werden soll. U. a. ist vorgesehen, dass Schutzberechtigte statt einer unbefristeten künftig nur noch eine befristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis erhalten, anerkannte Flüchtlinge für drei Jahre und subsidiär Schutzberechtigte, also bspw. Kriegsflüchtlinge, für 13 Monate.
Die entsprechenden Änderungen im schwedischen Ausländergesetz (Utlänningslag) traten im Sommer 2016 in Kraft, gelten aber auch rückwirkend für alle Asylbewerber, die nach der Ankündigung der Maßnahmen im Herbst 2015 noch ins Land kamen." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Qvist, Martin (2016): Activation reform and inter-agency co-operation. Local consequences of mixed modes of governance in Sweden. In: Social policy and administration, Jg. 50, H. 1, S. 19-38. DOI:10.1111/spol.12124

Abstract

"Organizational reform has become a recurring solution to problems of social exclusion and unemployment. In Europe, and other parts of the world, there is a trend towards policies of 'activation' in employment and social policy. The idea of flexible, individualized and tailor-made services is coupled with managerial and market-based reforms as well as collaborative governance. In these complex structures of service provision, coordination and inter-agency co-operation have become key concerns. Based on a study of a recent reform of programmes for newly arrived refugees in Sweden (Etableringsreformen), this article seeks to contribute to the literature on governance of 'activation' by examining the consequences of mixed modes of governance (market and collaborative) on local inter-agency co-operation. Drawing on data from in-depth case studies in two municipalities, it is demonstrated how the coupling of managerial practices and quasi-markets with existing collaborative arrangements has created barriers for inter-agency co-operation. The results indicate that institutional tensions between governance forms represent an important factor for explaining governance failure in this policy area." (Author's abstract, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

Zitatform

Andersson Joona, Pernilla, Alma W. Lanninger & Marianne Sundström (2015): Improving the integration of refugees. An early evaluation of a Swedish reform. (IZA discussion paper 9496), Bonn, 29 S.

Abstract

"This paper is an early evaluation of the Swedish Establishment Reform which was enacted in 2010 with the goal of facilitating and speeding up the integration of refugees and their family into the labor market and the society. From December 1, 2010 the reform transferred the responsibility for the integration of newly-arrived refugees from the municipalities to the government funded Public Employment Service through which those eligible would get an establishment plan and a coach. The reform was motived by concern over the low employment level and slow integration of refugees. Our approach is to compare the outcomes of the treatment group, which took part in establishment activities and arrived between December 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011, to those of the comparison group, which arrived in the eleven months preceding the Reform and participated in municipal introduction programs, controlling for a rich set of observables, including country of birth and date of residence permit. Outcomes are measured in terms of employment and earnings in 2012 for the treatment group and in 2011 for the comparison group. Our data comes from registers held by Statistics Sweden and the Public Employment Service and covers all immigrants. Although there are good reasons to expect positive effects of the Reform we find no significant difference in employment or earnings between the treatment group and the comparison group." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Celikaksoy, Aycan & Eskil Wadensjö (2015): The unaccompanied refugee minors and the Swedish labour market. (IZA discussion paper 9306), Bonn, 30 S.

Abstract

"More unaccompanied refugee children arrive to and get a residence permit in Sweden than in any other country in Europe. The number of children who arrives is increasing fast. The Swedish experiences are therefore of great interest also for other countries. In this paper we study the labour market situation in terms of employment and income for those who have arrived as unaccompanied minors and have been registered in Sweden. We compare them with those who also arrived as minors from the same countries but who have arrived together with their parents. After controlling for demographic and migration related variables we find that young adults who arrived as unaccompanied refugee children are more likely to be employed than those children who arrived accompanied from the same countries. Another result is that labour market participation is much lower for females than for males. We also compare the labour market situation of these children with that for those who were born in Sweden and are of the same age." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Ho, Giang & Kazuko Shirono (2015): The Nordic labor market and migration. (IMF working paper 2015,254), Washington, DC, 44 S.

Abstract

"The large influx of migrants to Nordic countries in recent years is challenging the adoptability of Nordic labor market institutions while also adding to potential growth. This paper examines the trends, economic drivers, and labor market implications of migration to Nordic countries with a particular focus on economic migration as distinct from the recent large flows of asylum seekers. Our analysis finds that migration inflows to the Nordics are influenced by both cyclical and structural factors. Although migration helpfully dampens overheating pressures during periods of strong demand, and over the longer term will cushion the decline in labor supply from population aging, in the near-term unemployment can rise, especially among the young and lower-skilled. The analysis highlights the need to adapt Nordic labor market institutions in a manner that better facilitates the integration of migrants into employment. In particular, greater wage flexibility at the firm level and continued strong active labor market measures will help improve labor market outcomes among immigrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Konle-Seidl, Regina, Franziska Schreyer & Angela Bauer (2015): Arbeitsmarktintegration von Asylbewerbern und Flüchtlingen in Schweden, Dänemark und Großbritannien. (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. Aktuelle Berichte 18/2015), Nürnberg, 15 S.

Abstract

"Die stark gestiegene Fluchtmigration stellt den Arbeitsmarkt in Deutschland vor große Herausforderungen. Der Aktuelle Bericht stellt dar, wie ausgewählte europäische Länder (Schweden, Dänemark, Großbritannien) bei der Arbeitsmarktintegration von Schutzsuchenden vorgehen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Bevelander, Pieter & Ravi Pendakur (2014): The labour market integration of refugee and family reunion immigrants. A comparison of outcomes in Canada and Sweden. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 40, H. 5, S. 689-709. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2013.849569

Abstract

"This paper assesses the employment and earnings trajectories of refugee and family reunion category immigrants in Canada and Sweden using two national level sources of data. The Canadian Immigration Database (IMDB) is a file that links the intake record of post-1979 immigrants with annual taxation records. The 2007 Swedish Register Data includes information on all legal permanent residents. Using standard regression methods, we compare labour force outcomes of age - sex - schooling - place of birth cohorts looking specifically at non-economic (family reunion and refugee intake) immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia. We find that the employment and earning trajectories of the selected non-economic migrant groups are quite similar in the two host countries, although earnings are higher in Canada than in Sweden." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bevelander, Pieter & Nahikari Irastorza (2014): Catching up: The labor market integration of new immigrants in Sweden. Washington, DC, 23 S.

Abstract

"The considerable diversity among Sweden's immigrants reflects a humanitarian migration policy. Refugees have arrived in the country since the 1970s and 1980s, with their countries of origin shifting according to the ethnic and political conflicts of any given period. Sweden is also a longstanding magnet for labor migration from surrounding Scandinavia, and has attracted mobile EU citizens since its entry into the European Union in 1995 -- and especially following the EU enlargements of 2004 and 2007. Sweden's immigration flows continue to change today, as policy reforms in 2008 allowed employers to bring non-EU labor migrants to the country for the first time in decades.
This report assesses how new immigrants to Sweden fare in the country's labor market. It shows that employment rates during newcomers' initial years in Sweden are relatively depressed for low-educated refugees and migrants who come based on family ties, in comparison to natives and labor migrants from EU countries. Since Sweden's refugees and family arrivals are not selected through employment-related criteria, they are likely to lack locally in-demand skills and are often out of work in the years immediately after arrival. The obstacles these groups face can be exacerbated by certain features of Sweden's labor market, such as high minimum wages, a relatively small pool of low-skilled jobs, and stringent employment protection for permanent work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Corrigan, Owen (2014): Migrant deprivation, conditionality of legal status and the welfare state. In: Journal of European social policy, Jg. 24, H. 3, S. 223-239. DOI:10.1177/0958928714525819

Abstract

"This article adds to our theoretical understanding of the determination of third-country national (TCN) migrant deprivation and poverty in western Europe. The stratifying effects of different types of legal status on migrant outcomes have been established in previous research. The conditionality that states attach to securing different types of legal status has heretofore been overlooked as an important explanatory factor, however. A measure of the conditionality attached to attaining the key social rights - granting status of long-term residency (LTR) is operationalized using cross-national policy data. Building on existing theory, we hypothesize that the negative impact of welfare generosity on TCN material deprivation is moderated by a state's level of LTR conditionality, such that deprivation will be greatest where conditionality is high and generosity is low. This hypothesis is tested using large-scale European microdata in the context of multilevel modelling. The empirical results are consistent with the central hypothesis. These findings have implications for policymakers and for extant accounts of migrant welfare, the welfare state and the factors implicated in the determination of poverty and deprivation in Europe." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Gerdes, Christer & Eskil Wadensjö (2014): Receiving countries' perspectives: The case of Sweden. (IZA discussion paper 8408), Bonn, 24 S.

Abstract

"Sweden has made its labour market more open for labour immigration since the mid1990s: becoming member of the common labour market of EES/EU in 1994, no transitional rules introduced at the enlargement of European Union in 2004 and 2007, and opening up for labour migration from non-EES/EU countries in December 2008. The changes have led to increased labour immigration. The labour immigration expanded for example after the enlargement in 2004 but not so much as in for example the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other forms of immigration have been more important. On the other hand, the migration has been rather stable in the years after the crisis in 2008. The main explanation is most likely that the recession in Sweden was only for one year, 2009, and that it was concentrated to some parts of the manufacturing industry where few migrant workers were employed. If the present EMU crisis is spreading to Sweden the result may of course be different." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Irastorza, Nahikari & Pieter Bevelander (2014): Economic integration of intermarried labour migrants, refugees and family migrants to Sweden. Premium or selection? (IZA discussion paper 8065), Bonn, 38 S.

Abstract

"We use Swedish register data to compare the employment and income of immigrants who intermarry natives versus those of immigrants who intramarry other immigrants in Sweden. We conduct the same analyses on three subsamples: labour migrants, refugees and family migrants. We find that intermarried immigrants outperformed intramarried ones in employment rates and salaries before and after marriage, in 1997 and 2007 respectively, and the same in true for each of the three subsamples analyzed. There is a statistically significant difference in income growth between intermarried and intramarried immigrants within that time period, but this difference is only significant for the subsample of family migrants. Finally, the upward mobility in employment status between 1997 and 2007 is higher for intermarried immigrants than for intramarried ones, with this being also the case for each of the three groups of labour migrants, refugees and family migrants. Our findings provide evidence to support both the selection hypothesis and the intermarriage premium hypothesis for the whole group of immigrants to Sweden. They also fully support the selection hypothesis for labour and family migrants but only partially for refugees; whereas they fully confirm the intermarriage premium hypothesis for family migrants but only partially for refugees and labour migrants." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))