IMMIGRANT WOMEN IN THE SWEDISH WORKFORCE Analysing Labour Market Integration Through an Intersectional Lens

Abstract

Immigrants facing various forms of inequality in the Swedish labour market is a well-documented issue, but research often lack precision in identifying exactly who experiences these inequalities, why and in which segments of the labour market. This study focuses on five key factors—gender, culture, religion, migrant and nationality—across three areas of the Swedish labour market: deskilling, labour market participation, and the informal economy. The aim of the study is to get a clearer picture on how country of origin influences challenges and intertwine with culture and religion within labour market integration for migrant women. The research is based on five qualitative interviews with experts working towards migration, integration, and the Swedish labour market to gain their insights into different patterns in the labour market. This study integrated an intersectional analysis and ultimately showed how different nationalities, mainly women from Ukraine, Somalia, Afghanistan, Romania and Turkey are affected by culture and religion and how this, in turn, influenced their labour market integration. The significance of the study is to gain a better understanding of how and why migrant women experience difficulties in the labour market, which is a necessary step to understand how to work to reduce these difficulties.