Barriers to employment for vulnerable groups in the Nordic countries

This report is the second report that examines how to increase labour market participation among vulnerable groups in the Nordic countries. The focus is on four groups: young people, seniors, immigrants, and persons with disabilities.

The first report showed that the Nordic countries in general perform well when it comes to inclusion of these groups in the Nordic labour markets. In this second report, we dig deeper into this complex area.

More specifically, we develop a framework over employment barriers that vulnerable groups face. We have benefitted from our research network of Nordic experts, and their work has resulted in a targeted literature review covering more than 80 papers, which all relate to barriers to employment for vulnerable groups.

Drawing on this literature, we have developed a framework with 24 specific employment barriers relating to either individual characteristics, economic incentives and motivation, the employer and labour market structures, or public services.