Labor Migration from Third Countries to Swedish Low-wage jobs

• 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.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

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

Publikations- och innehållstyp

art (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)