Foreign grads run threefold jobless risk

Published: 8 Dec 09 15:23 CET
Updated: 8 Dec 09 16:36 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/23732/20091208/

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Having a university degree is no guarantee for immigrants hoping to succeed in the Swedish labour market, a new study shows.

According to figures from Statistics Sweden (SCB), seven out of ten foreign-born people with university degrees living in Sweden are active on the labour market compared to nine out of ten for people born in Sweden. In the foreign-born group, around half of those not working were engaged in further education.

The study also found that employment prospects for immigrants vary depending on where they attend university.

While 78 percent of foreign-born workers with degrees earned in Sweden were working at the time the study was carried out in April of this year, only 69 percent of immigrants with degrees from foreign universities were gainfully employed.

In addition, only two thirds of employed foreign-born people with degrees from abroad had a job that wholly or in part suited their education, a substantially lower figure than the 9 out of 10 reported for both foreign-born and Swedish-born people with Swedish university degrees.

According to Olof Åslund, an associate economics professor with the Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU) at Uppsala University, the results aren't necessarily a sign of overt discrimination in the Swedish job market.

"It’s not that employers think Swedish universities are better, but rather that they are less certain about how to judge credentials from overseas," he told The Local.

"This can lead to them unintentionally favouring candidates with degrees from universities in Sweden."

Åslund added that time out of the workforce associated with the transition to Sweden may also result in an immigrant's university degree being undervalued.

"Even if you have a great education, if you haven’t worked for a number of years in your area of expertise, employers may see your education as having lost some of its value," he said.

The study also found that 46 percent of foreign-born workers with university degrees found it hard to find work which matched their education, compared with only 16 percent Swedish born degree holders.

According to the study, immigrants cited a dearth of professional contacts as the most common problem they faced in finding a job in Sweden, with 73 percent listing the lack of a network as the biggest obstacle to finding work.

Respondents also regarded having a non-Swedish name and a foreign background as complicating factors in their job search, something which Åslund said has been shown to result in qualified candidates being passed over in favour of native Swedes.

"We know there is discrimination in the labour market," he said.

The study's respondents also listed difficulties with the language as another reason they felt they had been unable to find work.

Nevertheless, nearly 80 percent of unemployed immigrants with advanced degrees reported having the ability to speak Swedish very well or well enough, according to the SCB study.

Nearly 7 out of 10 also said they could argue, persuade, and give oral presentations in Swedish, and around two-thirds felt they could write written reports in Swedish very well or well enough.

Åslund emphasized, however, that it’s hard to say how the report might provide guidance to policymakers working to help foreign-born workers enter the Swedish labour market

“There’s no simple explanation” for why so many highly educated non-Swedes are out of work, he said.

“But it’s a big problem and a waste of resources,” he added.

“It’s not that politicians aren’t aware of the issue, it’s just that it’s a complex problem to solve.”

David Landes
david.landes@thelocal.se
+46 8 656 6518

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15:58 December 8, 2009 by krigeren
This comes as no surprise. I have seen department after department where the managers only hire graduates from the school they went to.

Many Swedish managers seem to value having everyone from the same background in the office. If you were an adopted Swede with dark skin and went to the same Swedish university as your boss...you would also have a higher chance of being hired...its not racism its the desire for similarity.

My work experience in completely counter to this line of logic. The most creative and often the best performing organizations are those with a diverse set of skills from around the world.

Group Think is a leading management problem here.....
16:01 December 8, 2009 by Tennin
Majority of the people in my SAS B class have a univeristy degree, and not a single one can find a job, let alone one that fits their education or experience.

These people also speak Swedish really well, it's really sad that it's almost impossible for a foreigner to get a job unless it is cleaning work.
16:09 December 8, 2009 by calebian22
Group think- A great sociological term that is especially relevant in Sweden.
16:25 December 8, 2009 by Iraniboy
That goes the same in all countries , doesn't it?
16:28 December 8, 2009 by skatty
This is one of the major reasons to consider Sweden not suitable for immigration! In contrast with many European countries including North America, it doesn't make big differences to get University degree in Sweden for an immigrant. Even though the possibilities to get the education are equal for Swede and non-Swede, the job opportunities are not equal! You should just see what people are sitting in some positions, when many high-qualified immigrants are suffering to find qualified job!!
16:39 December 8, 2009 by Uncle
This is a homogeneous society and it is only possible to find a job in very international companies here. Little accounting firms and stores do not want to deal with the "mentality differences".

Even the big companies prefer to bring over expats with proven record, who will deliver precisely to the specifications, rather than dealing with immigrants on the local contract.

Sad for us, but understandable...
16:40 December 8, 2009 by krigeren
@Iraniboy - Sweden is largely a homogeneous culture its very different in cultures with a long immigrant history. Sure...local and regional employers in other countries often canvas local or certain Universities for Graduates...in Sweden you always get the feeling...even as a highly educated immigrant that there are a set of keys to a series of locked doors you just dont have.....

But...Sweden is not a Dynamic, vibrant culture, its a country in decline and they are trying to hold onto what they have. Go to Silicon Valley, Toronto, Belgrade look at the worker demographics there...much more interesting.

@Skatty Exactly! If people are coming to Sweden you have to solely depend on yourself to generate an income from either other markets or your own business here. If you are waiting for a Swedish company to give you a job you may be waiting a long time and the odds are against you.

As far as learning to speak Swedish. I think its a waste of time because the return on investment is very low...what do we as foreigners here really get out it? If I were seriously considering seeking a job in Sweden I would master German. I see jobs for people who speak English and German all the time in the papers...and they are typically well paid positions with travel.
16:49 December 8, 2009 by seang
Like most countries, there will always be an underlying desire to use local resources. This is further heightened by the fact that the Swedish education system is perceived to be a world leader. Why hire externally when you have the best resources already?

As a foreigner, I speak little/no Swedish. While my company does speak English, a large majority of the "HR Communicatio" is conducted in Swedish and almost all the "non-work" discussions are held in Swedish. It can be sometimes quite daunting and I can understand why it's definitely preferable to hire native speakers.

In terms of university, I've found that there is a strong university alumni presence. Many of my colleagues who have graduated many years ago still keep in close contact with their university friends and societies. They even attend recruitment drives and general university away days. I find this practice quite strange as I have little ("no") contact with my university.

As implied, I don't think there is any underlying racial issues. It's more about people being loyal (for better or worse) to their education institutions.

Cheers,

Sean
17:08 December 8, 2009 by skatty
@seang

About the racial issues, I suggest you first try to learn Swedish, and you should live at least five years in Sweden to discover racial issues; otherwise, it would be nearly impossible for you to understand the structure of racism in Sweden! Swedes are not easy people. As an example, in Germany it's almost easy to distinguish between a German friend and a racist; it's not easy in Sweden, needs long time to figure it out!
17:53 December 8, 2009 by livinginsweden
Whats new?

Tell me something I don't already know ........

People are racists .. admit it ... not all people ... and even those who say they are not racist .... will behave differently when their daughter want to marry another race or religion ....
18:35 December 8, 2009 by me_i_sverige
I really don't think foreigners are discriminated hugely. A lot of my friends are working in good companies in Sweden after completion of their degree and non of them speak Swedish. Swedish job market is very competitive and you need to be really good (good to compete with ethnic Swedes) technically.
19:15 December 8, 2009 by locaxy
Skatty makes a good point. You won't pick up on the nuances until you've been here a while.
19:17 December 8, 2009 by skatty
@me_i_sverige

Let me guess what you mean with lot of friends working in Sweden. I suppose your friends have already a degree and just complete their higher education (probably master or PhD) in here, otherwise they could not study in a Swedish University. Many of these friends already worked in a job market, somewhere else and have experiences. They get their higher education in here and apply job for international companies to get the job for two major reasons 1. Their previous experiences in another labor market 2. They are cheap. (Probably come from developing countries). Now, most of immigrant (refugees), who live in Sweden have to go through a painful process of starting everything from toe to top, learning language, KOMVUX, and great misery to get a degree to do what? Nothing, they didn't get even the chance of a high-educated person from a developing country to find any experience to work cheap for an international company here in Sweden.
19:33 December 8, 2009 by conboy
If anyone still seriously believes that this statistic has nothing to do with discrimination get your heads checked. The Sweden Democrats are merely the political wing of what is a significant proportion of anti foreigner feeling nestled away in the backround amongst a race of people who have a hard time having a heated discussion among themselves let alone with a growing population of immigrants. The Swedes are the eternal ostriches with their heads in the sand.
19:50 December 8, 2009 by Kronaboy
Fraid it's the same all over Europe, although if you happen to have a Muslim name you tend to fair considerably better in Sweden when compared with England, France, Germany and Denmark.
20:17 December 8, 2009 by skatty
@lingonberrie

I just mansion, most of that native and nonnative-born high educated in Sweden have managed their studies by student loan (very popular here, actually a way to run away from unemployment) and should pay it back by interest! Paying it back by working unskilled low pay jobs ruins lot of them; jobs which don't need high education. The Swedish system indirectly announces to get high education is the most stupid thing to do! What about USA, do they the same thing!!
20:20 December 8, 2009 by Militant Atheist
I have had only two jobs since I living in Sweden. The 1st job I got was after 3 weeks after I landed in Sweden. My 2nd job which is permanent I got after 60 other potential candidates. I discovered that one of the strong reasons I actually got the jobs was that my bosses lived in the same posh area as I do and the fact that my other tongue is English. They just love to try out their English ;)

As "discrimination" goes, my bosses certainly don't like religious people. Esp those that are oppressive towards woman.

Oh how I love Sweden \Ö/
22:27 December 8, 2009 by ou2chi
@seang

"This is further heightened by the fact that the Swedish education system is perceived to be a world leader."

Ha Ha Ha! Which world? Clearly like some Swedes I know your knowledge of how the world beyond Sverige works is extremely limited. Standards of education are not a matter of opinion. There are such things as league tables. Check and see where Sweden is. There a few good universities, but World Leader? Ha ha ha!
02:03 December 9, 2009 by Irishmanabroad
I've commented about this subject on these pages before. I was immensley more experienced than my fellow Swedish University Graduates (having worked in the British, German (albeit in Switzerland) and Hungarian Automotive industry pre-graduation) and my "network" reached into the higher echelons of the Swedish Automotive industry, but when it came to job applications I was told straight out "why should I hire you when I can hire someone who speaks Swedish and English?" That came from the mouth of a director at an (currently, but perhaps not for much longer!) American owned Auto company where the business language was English.

I went to the UK and earned twice as much money with a third of the tax and now work in the Australian Auto industry and am watching the state of the Swedish Auto industry, thinking of a lot of my friends currently working there, but must say finding it a tad hard to hide the smirk on my face. Go figure! I've said it before here and Swedes don't like hearing it, but they can be awfully racist. I have never had a problem getting a job in any other country, so what makes Sweden so different?

Look at it this way. What are the biggest complaints on these pages from us Johnny Foreigners when we come to Sweden. We can't integrate, we can't make friends, we find it hard to communicate with the locals, we find it hard to break into friendship groups... And you honestly think when it comes to jobs it is going to be any different?

A progressive thinking company will always expand its horizons when it comes to its employees. I am surrounded by a majority of non-Australians, they are infact a minority here, but are our parent company in the process of trying to a) sell us to the chinese or b) wind down the company? Nope.
05:24 December 9, 2009 by krigeren
@Irishmanabroad

Tell me you work for Holden! Never seen one in real life....interesting history. I always wonder if they are good cars...can't be so bad with around 200,000 in sales?

I think your success story is great. Congratulations. Not a surprise your success was not found here.
07:49 December 9, 2009 by izbz
@Tennin

Good luck to all immigrant....the first priority will go to swedish born, Been working as executive chef, souchef in Asia. Experience in cooking for 28 years. work in my company for 4 years as a low profile cook and also have to wash dishes. Still being paid by the hours.

They put a 21 years old Swedish kid who has only very little experience as the kitchen chef. Just 2 weeks ago was put on the F"#¤#¤# chopping board for time cut. Mind you I am the longest working staff in the kitchen, Of course the other 2 in the kitchen are Swedish Swede who have work only less than 2 years(one -8months, the other-1 1/2 years)., me, immigrant Swede. Maybe I should consider changing my skin colour like Micheal Jackson . Very hard for an immigrant to be on the top, work my arse off, don't even stay at home for more than a day if I am sick. Disappointed by company,s decision on time cut. Don't give a damn so much as who is in change in the kitchen.

BUT STILL........I am glad I still have a job (of course they can't kick me out for no reason since I've been working for 4 over years) Wish all the immigrant the very best of luck
08:49 December 9, 2009 by Tennin
@Izbz

I hope that one day you will open your own restaurant, and it will do 1000x better than the one you're currently working for. I'm sure then it'll teach them a lesson to not waste someone with experience.
09:45 December 9, 2009 by djmarko
Market conditions are tough these days, only the mentally tough survive, when you live in a country where ethnic Swedes find it hard to gain gainful employment, The Immigrants will surely find it tougher even if they speak the language or are more qualified.

I Moved over to Sweden in 2006, i was head hunted by one of the big mobile telecommunication companies, finished that contract in june and had a new job waiting for me, I just had a skill that is still rare in the IT industry ( for those that work with SAP)

I beleive that if you have a skill that cannot be filled in the local market, the recruits will look outwards, thats why yo have so many IT expats living and working in sweden, also networking is a very important aspect when looking for

good roles
18:22 December 9, 2009 by insect
Militant Atheist

Where do you live? I need to look for housing there immediately!
11:12 December 11, 2009 by Rogerenden
also depends on your nationality.

so, it depends if you're a 'bad' eastern immigrant or a 'good' core european one ...
12:30 February 15, 2010 by HaveStories
An Engineer from a Swedish University, the only job i managed to find in the past two years was cleaning! the reason? come on, it is Sweden guys and i happened to have a brown color. otherwise, I was among the top 5 grads from thier own school.
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