Residential Aspirations and Perception of Rural Youth of the Opportunities Offered By their Environment: the Case of a Spanish Inland Rural Area

This study explores aspects which influence whether young people decide to remain in a rural area or move away. Based on a qualitative analysis of 41 open-ended interviews with young people from a rural area of inland Spain, it especially examines the perception they hold of the opportunities provided by their rural environment for labour market integration. The results show that: 1) agriculture, the economic base of the area, is not perceived as a means of social and labour market integration; 2) a high degree of mobility between the village and the city is a necessary condition for young people to remain in a rural area; 3) promoting the natural and cultural resources of an area strengthens the feeling of belonging and identity.

Organising labour market integration support for refugees in Austria and Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic

This paper addresses the question of how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the labour market integration support (LMIS) organised for refugees in Austria and Sweden, and the potential consequences of the changes unfolding. LMIS for refugees is a complex phenomenon involving actors at different interwoven levels—the macro-national level, the meso-organisational level and the micro-individual level. However, the complexities and consequences of such processes for the labour market integration of refugees have so far received limited attention. The current Covid-19 pandemic actualises the need to gain a better understanding of how integration support is organised across the different levels and how the pandemic itself impacts such support. Thus, the article seeks to understand how the pandemic affects the LMIS organised for refugees in Austria and Sweden, two countries with a large refugee population and diverging responses to the pandemic. Based on 29 semi-structured interviews and three focus group workshops, the results highlight in particular three developments: (a) a further entrenching of broader, macro-national level developments related to integration support already underway prior to the pandemic; (b) further mainstreaming of activities; and (c) increased volatility of work. Overall, the pandemic has brought to the fore the interrelation of different levels in the organising of LMIS for refugees and has contributed to a stabilisation of already ongoing activities.

The role of social enterprises in facilitating labour market integration for people with disabilities: A convenient deflection from policy mainstreaming?

Policymakers have increasingly embraced social enterprises as a vehicle to create job opportunities for the disadvantaged. However, there is limited research on social enterprises in the context of disability in relation to labour market integration. Drawing on the perspectives of representatives of work integration social enterprises and people with disabilities employed in these enterprises (n=21), this study examines whether and how work integration social enterprises promote inclusion for people with disabilities, and also explores the role of WISEs in enabling people with disabilities to transition into open employment. Thematic analysis revealed three key emergent themes: Cocooned inclusion but not transition; Reinforced normative demarcation; and WISEs as a deflection from institutionalizing proactive disability policy measures. This article argues that, although WISEs were able to provide job opportunities for people with disabilities, their purported function in enabling disabled people to transition into open employment remains constrained by factors beyond their control including prevailing norms and the absence of proactive disability employment measures. This article cautions against the over-romanticisation of WISEs as the primary means to ensure the rights of people with disabilities to participate in the labour market. Implications on disability employment policies in relation to social enterprises are discussed.

Opportunities for Employers in Immigrant Labour Market integration: a Case Study of the Canadian Financial Sector

The focus of this study is on the financial sector, and it asks two questions: a) what are financial institutions currently doing in terms of assisting in the labour market integration of newcomers? and b) where are the opportunities for improvement within the financial sector with respect to the employment of immigrants? The study examines current achievements regarding the sector’s successful labour market integration of immigrants, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations as to how the financial sector can become a leader in this domain as well as the benefits of doing so. Some key findings are that there is a gap in terms of the successful integration and inclusion of immigrants in the labour market despite recognition of the business case for diversity. Ingrained biases and beliefs persist, and the communication patterns and ‘rigid’ history of the financial sector are not maturing at the same pace as the global economy.

Opportunities for Employers in Immigrant Labour Market integration: a Case Study of the Canadian Financial Sector

The focus of this study is on the financial sector, and it asks two questions: a) what are financial institutions currently doing in terms of assisting in the labour market integration of newcomers? and b) where are the opportunities for improvement within the financial sector with respect to the employment of immigrants? The study examines current achievements regarding the sector’s successful labour market integration of immigrants, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations as to how the financial sector can become a leader in this domain as well as the benefits of doing so. Some key findings are that there is a gap in terms of the successful integration and inclusion of immigrants in the labour market despite recognition of the business case for diversity. Ingrained biases and beliefs persist, and the communication patterns and ‘rigid’ history of the financial sector are not maturing at the same pace as the global economy.