Labour Market Integration of Female Refugees

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.

Here you find videos in which women born abroad talk about their experiences of finding work in the Nordic countries

Story map about labour market integration of female refugees

Interviews, maps and facts about labour market integration of female refugees

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