Professional networks and the labour market assimilation of immigrants

Previous research has shown that personal contacts play an important role in the filling of new jobs. Less is known about the role of personal networks in foreign-born individuals’ chances of establishing themselves on the labour market. This project studies how labour market-related networks develop over time in Sweden and what significance they have for the chances of finding new employment. We will, among other things, highlight the types of contacts that are most important when foreign-born individuals seek jobs. Do contacts with fellow countrymen contribute to making it easier to find work, or are contacts with native born individuals more valuable? And what does the development look like over time? Is a certain type of contact more significant during the first period in the country, only to become less useful later on? To answer these questions, we plan to use detailed registry data from IFAU:I.