‘One step forward, two steps back’: labour market integration paths of highly-skilled refugees in Sweden

Abstract

This article explores the labour market integration of highly-skilled refugees seeking employment by comparing the structural landscape that refugees encounter with their degree of knowledgeable agency. The material analysed comprises informational texts and videos, observations, and interviews with labour market integration actors in Sweden. The structural landscape and its complex web of actors create opportunities to obtain employment, but also create constraints. Although refugees can exercise agency on their labour market path, it is difficult to acquire the knowledgeable agency needed for making informed decisions. The policy implications of these findings are significant because labour market integration paths for highly-skilled refugees in Sweden are often unclear and vary across time and space, leading to path gaps and career changes that could be avoided through more knowledge about their options.