STUCK IN DEAD-END JOBS? A comparative study of female migrants’ labour market integration in the Nordic and Central/Western labour market regime.

Abstract

This thesis studies the labour market integration of female migrants by comparing them to native-born females across two different labour market regime types. Specifically, it investigates how institutional mechanisms within the Nordic and Central/Western labour market regimes may shape differences in labour market integration outcomes. Occupational status is used as a qualitative indicator of successful labour market integration. Grounded in human capital and assimilation theories, the thesis argues that female migrants are more disadvantaged in labour market integration compared to native women, due to factors such as limited recognition of their qualifications and weaker knowledge of labour market dynamics. Labour market regime types, with different institutional arrangements, are argued to influence labour market segmentation. It is hypothesised that features of the Nordic labour market regime might widen the nativity gap in labour market integration more than in the Central/Western regime. To test this, the study employs ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, including an interaction term for labour market regime type. Data is drawn from the fifth wave of the European Values Study (2017). The thesis found that female migrants have on average lower occupational status than native-born women. However, the interaction effects between regime type and migrant status were not statistically significant, indicating that the size of the nativity gap does not differ substantially between the Nordic and Central/Western regimes in this sample and with this operationalisation.