Dynamics of Unemployment Duration Among African Migrants in Sweden: The contribution of specific country of birth and gender on employment success

Abstract

This study uses Cox proportional hazard models to examine the likelihood of transition to first employment among specific groups of African migrants compared to the general population and other immigrants, respectively, in Sweden. Our findings demonstrate that the likelihood of employment upon arrival is strictly linked to country of origin after taking socio-demographic characteristics into account. When compared with the general population, lower employment likelihood was found among immigrant men and women from most African countries, especially from Somalia. In general, African men experienced better employment chances when compared with women. A gender gap on transition to first employment was found among immigrants from Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt indicating that it is particularly difficult for women from these countries to find employment.