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Labor Migration from Third Countries to Swedish Low-wage jobs

Frödin, Olle LU and Kjellberg, Anders LU (2018) In Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies 8(1). p.65-85
Abstract
Since December 2008, Sweden has more liberal rules for labor immigration from ‘third countries’ – countries outside the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) – than any other country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The introduction of employer-driven labor immigration, motivated by the need to address labor shortages, resulted in large inflows of migrants in low-skilled occupations in labor surplus sectors. This article examines the situation of the approximately 500 restaurant and cleaning workers who were granted work permits in Stockholm in 2012. More than four out of ten labor migrants ‘switched track’ from asylum seekers, students, or family connection. Every second worker was... (More)
Since December 2008, Sweden has more liberal rules for labor immigration from ‘third countries’ – countries outside the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) – than any other country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The introduction of employer-driven labor immigration, motivated by the need to address labor shortages, resulted in large inflows of migrants in low-skilled occupations in labor surplus sectors. This article examines the situation of the approximately 500 restaurant and cleaning workers who were granted work permits in Stockholm in 2012. More than four out of ten labor migrants ‘switched track’ from asylum seekers, students, or family connection. Every second worker was recruited to companies without collective agreements. In several cases, a nationality/ethnic link between migrant and employer appears to exist. The reasons why so many low-skilled labor migrants in nonseasonal occupations were recruited are discussed. Finally, alternative explanations for the decline of this type of labor migration after 2011 are considered.
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
labor migration, third country, low-wage, work permit, trade union, employer, asylum seeker, track change, vulnerability, exploitation, EU, OECD, collective agreement, restaurant sector, cleaning, cock, food preparation assistant, Sociology, sociologi, Delmi, Migration Agency, Migrationsverket, labor migration, labour migration, third-country, OECD, EU, low-wage, low-skilled, work permit, resturant sector, cleaning, cock, food preparation assistant, vulnerability, exploitation, precarious, precarity, trade union, employer, collective agreement, sociology, sociologi, industrial relations, track change, spårbyte, arbetskraftsinvandring, arbetskraftsmigration, arbetskraftsmigrant, arbetstillstånd, kollektivavtal
in
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
volume
8
issue
1
pages
21 pages
publisher
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
external identifiers
  • scopus:85044870860
ISSN
2245-0157
DOI
10.18291/njwls.v8i1.104847
project
Forskningsprojekt om arbetskraftsinvandring från tredje land: sammanfattning av resultaten
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1c0d2394-b51e-4717-8884-bde6cd5bd685
date added to LUP
2018-03-12 11:10:13
date last changed
2024-01-14 16:41:20
@article{1c0d2394-b51e-4717-8884-bde6cd5bd685,
  abstract     = {{Since December 2008, Sweden has more liberal rules for labor immigration from ‘third countries’ –  countries outside the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) – than any other country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The introduction of employer-driven labor immigration, motivated by the need to address labor shortages, resulted in large inflows of migrants in low-skilled occupations in labor surplus sectors. This article examines the situation of the approximately 500 restaurant and cleaning workers who were granted work permits in Stockholm in 2012. More than four out of ten labor migrants ‘switched track’ from asylum seekers, students, or family connection. Every second worker was recruited to companies without collective agreements. In several cases, a nationality/ethnic link between migrant and employer appears to exist. The reasons why so many low-skilled labor migrants in nonseasonal occupations were recruited are discussed. Finally, alternative explanations for the decline of this type of labor migration after 2011 are considered. <br/>}},
  author       = {{Frödin, Olle and Kjellberg, Anders}},
  issn         = {{2245-0157}},
  keywords     = {{labor migration; third country; low-wage; work permit; trade union; employer; asylum seeker; track change; vulnerability; exploitation; EU; OECD; collective agreement; restaurant sector; cleaning; cock; food preparation assistant; Sociology; sociologi; Delmi; Migration Agency; Migrationsverket; labor migration; labour migration; third-country; OECD; EU; low-wage; low-skilled; work permit; resturant sector; cleaning; cock; food preparation assistant; vulnerability; exploitation; precarious; precarity; trade union; employer; collective agreement; sociology; sociologi; industrial relations; track change; spårbyte; arbetskraftsinvandring; arbetskraftsmigration; arbetskraftsmigrant; arbetstillstånd; kollektivavtal}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{65--85}},
  publisher    = {{Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies}},
  series       = {{Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies}},
  title        = {{Labor Migration from Third Countries to Swedish Low-wage jobs}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/40268826/Labor_Migration_from_Third_Countries_to_Swedish_Low_wage_Jobs_Fr_din_Kjellberg.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.18291/njwls.v8i1.104847}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}