The project examines how to improve the labor market integration of highly educated immigrants in the Nordic countries. Although this group is more likely to find employment compared to low-educated immigrants, the group experiences, on average, underemployment in the Nordic labor markets. Many highly skilled migrants face challenges such as language barriers, lack of professional networks, and difficulties in validating foreign qualifications. These obstacles can lead to wage stagnation and a depreciation of skills, negatively affecting immigrants’ career opportunities. Underemployment and poor job matches contribute to inefficiencies in Nordic labor markets and a waste of valuable skills.
Funded by Integration Norden, the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and Migrationsverket in Sweden. The project aims to support local and regional actors in the Nordic region, with a special focus on Sweden, in improving strategies to help highly educated immigrants obtain jobs that match their qualifications. The project will map the labor market situation, identify key barriers and enabling factors, compare and collect successful Nordic integration initiatives, and develop evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice.
The project combines quantitative and qualitative methods, including labor market data analysis, studies of language requirements in job advertisements, and interviews and focus groups with highly educated immigrants. By highlighting both structural barriers and successful support mechanisms, the project aims to help municipalities, regional authorities, and other relevant actors promote more effective and inclusive labor market integration for highly skilled migrants.
Expected outcomes and impact
- A mapping of the labor market integration of highly educated migrants: Based on statistics, data scraping, and interviews, the project will provide a status description of highly skilled migrants’ labor market integration in the Nordics.
- Effective strategies for labor market integration of highly skilled migrants: Based on the findings, the project develops concrete, actionable recommendations to improve labor market integration outcomes for highly educated immigrants and reduce skills mismatch.
- Knowledge exchange and dissemination: Results are disseminated through webinars, workshops, and participation in conferences and stakeholder events, fostering Nordic knowledge exchange and mutual learning.
Nordregio’s role
Nordregio is the lead partner of the project and is responsible for overall coordination, research design, and analysis.
Kontaktpersoner
