The labour market integration of refugee and family reunion immigrants: a comparison of outcomes in Canada and Sweden

Abstract

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Integrating refugees into labor markets

“…However, there are discrepancies in the results that purport this: some studies show that with increased time in the country, refugees perform as well as [6] or even better [11] than other non-economic immigrants; some show that the differences are small over time [5], while others argue that the gap remains substantial [12]. Explanations for these results vary from more general factors like language proficiency, level of education, and credential recognition, to more specific factors that highlight mental and physical health issues connected with asylum status, as well as to what extent the asylum-seeking procedure enhances (or hinders) the integration process.…”

“…However, over time, refugee immigrants "catch up" and show similar employment levels as other non-economic immigrant categories [1], [2], [3], but still exhibit lower levels when compared to economic (labor) migrants [4]. Moreover, the income trajectories for refugees appear similar to other non-economic immigrant categories [5], [4]. Though again, refugee immigrants lag behind labor migrants in terms of earnings development [6].…”

“…A specific analysis of the employment integration and earnings trajectories of noneconomic migrants to Sweden in comparison to Canada provides further insights [5]. This is a worthwhile comparison to make because these two countries each accept relatively large numbers of immigrants, and because they both have specific policies designed for refugees as well as other immigrant categories.…”

“…For example, the existing national data sets in Scandinavia include information on intake category whereas those in North America generally do not. Thus, quantitative assessments of outcomes by entry category are far more common in Northern Europe than in the US or Canada [5]. However, a special database that exists for Canada allows for the direct comparison of economic integration by intake category for Canada and Sweden.…”

“…In both countries, refugee women earn more than family reunion women, while earnings for refugee men and family reunion men are more or less the same. In Sweden, the differences across intake categories for both employment possibilities and earnings are minimal [5].…”