Policies and Measures for Speeding Up Labour Market Integration of Refugees in the Nordic Region: A Knowledge Overview

Karlsdóttir, Anna and Rut Sigurjónsdóttir, Hjördís and Ström Hildestrand, Åsa and Cuadrado, Alex (2017) Policies and Measures for Speeding Up Labour Market Integration of Refugees in the Nordic Region: A Knowledge Overview. Research Report. Nordregio, Stockholm Sweden.

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Abstract

The employment gap between refugees and the native-born population in the Nordic countries has been highlighted by numerous studies, as has the large variety in the extent of the gap based on country of origin. Studies of earlier migrant cohorts show that the chance of being unemployed decreases over time and it takes on average 5-10 years for people to become fully employed. The integration process is slower for women, with low levels of education and family conditions, including child care, having a substantial impact. With respect to the most recent wave of refugees arriving in 2015, primarily from Syria and Afghanistan, research has yet to determine the effectiveness of the new measures which have been used in an attempt to close this gap in years to come. The fact that Sweden has the smallest share of low-qualified or simple jobs (5.2%) in the EU28 is a factor, together with labour market policies and regulations.

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