The Labor Market Integration of New Arrivals in Europe
This project with the International Labour Office, concluded in 2014, evaluated the ease with which foreign-born workers within the European Union are able to establish themselves in destination-country labor markets during the first decade after arrival. The research evaluated the conditions under which new immigrants are able not only to find employment, but also to progress into middle-skilled jobs.
The project's first phase included country case studies considering the influence of individual characteristics and broader economic conditions on immigrant workers' employment prospects. The second phase evaluated the effectiveness of integration and workforce development policies in helping them overcome these barriers and move up into middle-skilled positions.
The project, funded by the European Union, studied the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
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Better Work for Immigrants: Tackling Joblessness and Stunted Progression in the European Union
This day-long conference in Brussels, co-sponsored by the International Labour Office and the European Commision’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, focuses on the dynamics by which migrants get stuck in low-skilled work, and the role of training and employment services in helping them progress in their occupations.
Aiming Higher: Policies to get immigrants into middle-skilled work in Europe
European integration policies have prioritized getting immigrants into work over career progression. Without reform, persistent labor market gaps will widen.
Building an Integration System: Policies to Support Immigrants’ Progression in the Czech Labor Market
The Czech Republic has built an integration policy on paper, but funding constraints, EU dependency, and neglect of upward mobility have limited its reach and impact.
Benign Neglect? Policies to Support Upward Mobility for Immigrants in the United Kingdom
The flexible UK labor market helps immigrants find work but not advance, and austerity cuts to language and vocational training have left upward mobility largely to chance.
Shifting Focus: Policies to Support the Labor Market Integration of New Immigrants in France
France subordinates socioeconomic integration to cultural goals, leaving immigrants more likely to be unemployed or in low-skilled work.
Turning a Corner? How Spain Can Help Immigrants Find Middle-Skilled Work
Spain's economic boom removed incentives to build integration infrastructure, and the 2008 global financial crisis exposed structural gaps that recovery-era reforms must address.
Investing in the Future: Labor Market Integration Policies for New Immigrants in Germany
Germany's immigrants face language and credential barriers that a fragmented multilevel policy system has only partially addressed.
No Quick Fix: Policies to Support the Labor Market Integration of New Arrivals in Sweden
Sweden's investment in labor market integration has not closed the employment gap for humanitarian migrants, pointing to structural barriers and poorly targeted programs.
Moving Up or Standing Still? Access to Middle-Skilled Work for Newly Arrived Migrants in the European Union
In six EU countries, immigrants were over-represented in low-skilled jobs and made limited occupational gains over a decade, pointing to structural barriers beyond education.
A Work in Progress: Prospects for Upward Mobility Among New Immigrants in Germany
New immigrants in Germany made consistent gains over time but never closed the employment gap with natives and remained concentrated in low-skilled jobs throughout the 2000s.
