Lithuanian Temporary Workers in Iceland in Another Economic Boom: Expectations and Experiences

Abstract

Economic changes and a booming tourism industry in Iceland have triggered a rise in temporary workforce, where employees are brought to Iceland from Eastern Europe and other less economically developed countries. Major societal and economic shifts are evidenced by a doubled number of temporary staffing agencies and a ten-fold increase in foreign temporary agency workers. However, limited research exists regarding the phenomenon. Furthermore, the expectations of temporary work force in Iceland have not been researched.The study employed field survey methods to investigate pre-arrival expectations and post-arrival experiences of temporary agency workers regarding temporary agencies and Icelandic society. The findings indicate that the employees had relatively high expectations towards the temporary staffing agency and Icelandic society before arriving in Iceland. However, the findings also indicated unmet expectations in these respects.The study provides empirical data that serves as catalyst for both expectation management and better integration of foreign temporary workforce.

Determinants of Migration Following the EU Enlargement: A Panel Data Analysis

“…Some micro-level studies reveal unmet high expectations of migrants from Eastern Europe to more developed Western countries such as Lithuanian-Iceland study of temporary migration (Minelgaite, Christiansen, and Kristjánsdóttir 2019), is what can affect further developments of migration through return flows even in cases where migrants were planning more temporary migration.…”

Migration Patterns in Eastern Europe and the World: A Gravity Approach

“…One key issue is whether migration is temporary or permanent. Minelgaite, Christiansen, and Kristjánsdóttir (2019) reported on a survey of Lithuanian workers in Iceland, and found most of these relatively well-educated workers were working in temporary positions without expectation of permanent migration. In Kosovo, where almost a fifth of the population is estimated to be living abroad, Kotorri (2017) hypothesizes a nonlinear relationship between the probability that a migrant returns and the income they earn abroad, since the income effect might offset the substitution effect if reverse migration is a normal good.…”