How to improve immigrant employment?
A new comprehensive review by Labore provides clear evidence that integration programs, language training, and active labor market policies are effective tools for getting more immigrants employed.
An extensive literature review, published by the Labour Institute for Economic Research (Labore), brought together 63 European studies analyzing the impact of integration and labor market policies on immigrant employment. The findings show that well-targeted measures can significantly speed up employment, strengthen labor market attachment, and improve job quality. The study, Labor Policies and Immigrant Employment, was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Economic Surveys.
According to the review, particularly effective integration programs combine language training, cultural orientation, and employment services. Even stand-alone language training was shown to improve immigrants’ chances of finding stable and timely employment.
Active labor market measures – such as work trials, wage subsidies, and training – emerged as key tools to support immigrants’ first steps into the labor market.
The studies also found that economic benefits, incentives, and restrictions can influence employment outcomes. Childcare services and parental leave proved especially important for the employment of immigrant mothers.
“The public sector can have a strong positive impact on immigrant employment with well-designed and well-resourced integration measures, such as language training. These investments are very likely to pay off quickly and there are no rational reasons not to use these tools,” says Labore research coordinator Hannu Karhunen.
The review was based on 2 072 publications, of which 63 met the pre-defined criteria. It focused on experimental and quasi-experimental studies using administrative register data and natural experiments. The analysis covered several European countries, particularly the Nordic countries, Germany, and France.
