Research shows that women born abroad who come to the Nordic Region have greater difficulty finding work than men born abroad.
The number of people in work in the Nordic countries is high compared to other nations, particularly the number of women. Indeed, a high rate of employment for women is one of the basic pillars of the Nordic welfare model. However, the employment gap between those born in the Nordic Region and those born abroad has widened.
The fact that it takes longer for newly arrived women to establish themselves in the labour market than it does men has been the subject of research at both national and Nordic level. The OECD has studied why a significantly smaller proportion of refugee women find jobs in the Nordic countries – not only in relation to those already living in the country in question but also compared to male refugees.
Several factors influence the job prospects of new arrivals, including their qualifications, previous experience and health. As far as all of these factors are concerned, women refugees tend to be at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts. Many refugees come from countries with poor educational systems, particularly for women, and where levels of employment for women are low.
The combination of women taking more parental leave than men means that many women – particularly those with lower levels of education – are at risk of exclusion from the world or work. This group risks being locked into a welfare trap, resulting in a loss of personal autonomy, social exclusion and a greater risk of ill health.
Getting immigrant women into work is an important issue from both a personal and a socio-economic perspective. If the proportion of women born abroad with jobs were as high as it is for women born in the country concerned, GDP would go up, unemployment would go down, and public finances would improve. However, if the current trend continues, there is concern that the children of immigrant women could also be affected. Living in a household where the mother goes out to work has many other positive effects that the merely financial, e.g. it enhances the woman’s position within the family and improves her opportunities to influence and be a role model for her children.
The research indicates that a range of measures is needed to improve employment prospects for women born abroad:
- Integration work should start as soon as possible, and there is a great need for outreach work
- More training and employment courses are needed in sectors where women are predominant
- Qualification systems and in-service training need to be adapted to meet the needs of women born abroad to a greater extent
- Civil society has an important role to play in this work. Close collaboration between local authorities and civil society helps newly arrived women establish themselves, e.g. by building networks and helping them learn the language. The private sector can also help with social activities or mentoring programmes.
Under the Learning heading, we examine integration initiatives in different parts of the Nordic Region. All of these have proved effective in facilitating the integration of newly arrived women, and have led, directly or indirectly, to employment and the ability of women to support themselves. To the left, you will find research and news on this theme.

Story map about labour market integration of female refugees
Interviews, maps and facts about labour market integration of female refugees
Research on the theme
Integration
23 Feb 2023
Starka mammor – Trygga barn
Asylsökande och nyanlända utrikesfödda mammor och deras barn är några av de mest utsatta grupperna vad gäller psykisk ohälsa, socioek [...]
Work
19 Sep 2022
Möjlighet och utmaningar till inkludering av utrikesfödda kvinnor på arbetsmarknaden och i samhället
En rapport om utbildnings- och forskningscirklar inom KLARA-projektet [...]
Work
16 May 2022
Matchningsinsatser för personer som nyligen fått uppehållstillstånd
Slutrapport för Jämställd etablering [...]
Work
28 Feb 2022
Insatser riktade till utrikes födda kvinnor som står långt ifrån arbetsmarknaden och utbildning – en exempelsamling
I länsstyrelsernas regleringsbrev för 2021 står det att länsstyrelserna har i uppdrag att samla in och sprida goda exempel på uppsökan [...]
Work
8 Jan 2022
Försörjning med fördröjning – en ESO-rapport om utrikes födda kvinnors etablering på arbetsmarknaden
I Sverige har inrikes födda kvinnor en hög förvärvsfrekvens, men det gäller inte de utrikes födda kvinnorna. Kvinnor migrerar i högre [...]
Work
26 Mar 2021
Unga utrikes födda kvinnors etablering i arbetslivet
En analys av hinder och möjligheter [...]
Work
17 Mar 2021
Föräldraledighet: hinder eller möjlighet för etablering i samhället
Denna rapport är en del av SNS forskningsprojekt »Lärdomar om integration«, vars övergripande syfte är att ta fram ny kunskap om hur i [...]
Work
12 Mar 2021
Kvinnor som inte deltar i integrationsprogram
Målen med denna studie har varit att kartlägga kunskap om målgruppen kvinnor som ej deltagit i de nordiska integrationsprogrammen och att [...]
Work
30 Aug 2020
Matchningsinsatser för personer som nyligen fått uppehållstillstånd
Regeringen gav 2017 Arbetsförmedlingen i uppdrag att redovisa en handlingsplan för hur myndigheten ska öka andelen utrikesfödda kvinnor [...]
Work
18 Mar 2020
Aktiviteter för flykting- och anhöriginvandrare inom etableringsprogrammet
Under de senaste åren har ett stort antal flykting- och anhöriginvandrare kommit till Sverige. Samtidigt har tidigare forskning visat att [...]
Work
23 Nov 2019
Etablering efter etableringsinsatser
Denna rapport studerar hur det går för dem som påbörjat insatser i Arbetsförmedlingens etableringsuppdrag 2010–2014, med särskilt fo [...]
Work
16 May 2019
Veje til beskæftigelse for flygtninge-og indvandrerkvinder: En guide baseret på den aktuelt bedste viden fra de nordiske lande
Dette er en guide, som giver viden om gode metoder, værktøjer og tiltag, der kan få indvandrerkvinder i arbejde. [...]
Maps and statistics
Immigration & development
8 Feb 2018
Old-age dependency 2015
Old age dependency rates are rising across the Nordic countries, and they are particularly high in remote rural municipalities. [...]
Immigration & development
8 Feb 2018
Female international net migration rate in 2015
This map shows the international net migration rate for females in 2015. International migration refers to the migration to and from abroad [...]
Immigration & development
8 Feb 2018
Foreign born female ratio in 2016
This map shows the ratio of male and female in the foreign born population in 2016 on municipal (big map) and regional level (small map). [...]
Examples of best practice for the theme
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
KHRS ApS – en servicevirksomhed inden for integrationsområdet
At hjælpe udsatte borgere og integrationsborgere med at få fodfæste på det danske arbejdsmarked. [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Jämställd etablering (ESF-Projekt) – Matchning från dag 1
Regeringen gav 2017 Arbetsförmedlingen i uppdrag att redovisa en handlingsplan för hur myndigheten ska öka andelen utrikesfödda kvinnor [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Tillväxt Kvinna
Tillväxt Kvinna är ett projekt där man genom tvärsektoriell samverkan mellan Botkyrka kommun, Arbetsförmedlingen och lokala idéburna o [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Bydelsmødrene
Bydelsmödrarna är i första hand kvinnor med minoritetsbakgrund som gör en frivillig insats i sitt bostadsområde. De stöttar kvinnor so [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Jobbsjansen – Målet er å øke sysselsettingen blant innvandrere som står langt fra arbeidsmarkedet
I 2013 ble tiltaket Jobbsjansen innført som en permanent ordning. Målet med ordningen er å øke sysselsettingen blant innvandrere som st [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
EMPOWER – Training for women of foreign origins and support workers
The Directorate of Labour in Iceland is a partner in an Erasmus+ project that has the aim of develop training materials for vulnerable women [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Yalla Trappan
Yalla Trappan är ett arbetsintegrerande socialt företag och kvinnokooperativ som drivs av en ideell förening i Rosengård i Malmö. Det [...]
Labour Market Integration of Refugees
Greve Nord-projektet
Greve Nord-projektet är en brygga mellan nyanlända och det etablerade samhället. Man försöker nå dem som samhället i övrigt har svå [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
EMPOWER – Training for women of foreign origins and support workers
The Directorate of Labour in Iceland is a partner in an Erasmus+ project that has the aim of develop training materials for vulnerable women [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Neighbourhood Mothers
The Neighbourhood Mothers are primarily women with an ethnic minority background, who do a voluntary effort in their local area by supportin [...]
Labour Market Integration of Refugees
Snabbspår – snabbare etablering av nyanlända
Snabbspår är ett sätt att skapa snabbare vägar in på arbetsmarknaden för nyanlända arbetssökande som har erfarenhet eller utbildning [...]
Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees
Mirjam – underlättar etablering på arbetsmarknaden för nyanlända kvinnor
Projekt Mirjam är ett ESF-finansierat projekt som ägs av Arbetsförmedlingen. Mirjam finns i Östergötland och Södermanland och erbjuder [...]
Seminars on the theme
Completed
28
Apr
2020
Completed
Nordic Conference on Migrant Women and the Nordic Labour Market - Challenges and Opportunities
Welcome to the Nordic Conference on Migrant Women and the Nordic Labour Market - Challenges and Opportunities, 28 April 2020 in Helsinki. [...]
Completed
9
May
2022
Completed
Invitation to Hybrid event: Which Nordic country is best at qualification and labour market integration for refugees?
The Nordic Council of Ministers and NIBR invites you to the launch of the research report Scandinavian integration policies for refugees: A [...]
News on the theme
Integration
20 Dec 2022
Språkopplæringen må oppleves meningsfull
Når språkopplæringen gjøres relevant og gir mening til deltakerne, er det best sjanse for å lykkes. Innvandrerkvinner har behov for å [...]
Integration
20 Dec 2022
Dele erfaringer på godt og vondt
Det ble engasjerte diskusjoner langt over oppsatt tid da workshop om helsekompetanse og outreach til migrantmiljøer sto på agendaen under [...]
Work
20 Dec 2022
Immigrant women must be prioritized
Many had turned up at the workshop which dealt with immigrant women and integration in the labor market. There were many good suggestions fo [...]
Work
2 Dec 2022
Hvordan inkludere flere på det nordiske arbeidsmarkedet?
Hvis hvert land i Norden lærte av de andre lands suksesser, kunne 700 000 flere vært i arbeid, ifølge de danske forskerne Sarah Kildahl N [...]