Employment Gaps for African-Origin Populations in the Nordics

🚀 The 2024 Annual Nordic Conference on Integration is well underway on 11-12 December in Stockholm. Co-hosted by the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic Council, and the Government Offices of Sweden, the event tackles labor market integration for migrant parents in the Nordics, addressing challenges at the intersection of parenthood and employment. This analysis focuses on employment trends for African-origin populations, particularly those aged 30-34, highlighting gender disparities, generational progress, and comparisons with the rest of the population. The data is drawn from the Nordic Statistics Database.

Definitions

• Foreign-born: Individuals born abroad with two foreign-born parents (excluding foreign-born with native-born adoptive parents).
• Descendants: Individuals born in the reporting country with two foreign-born parents.
• Rest of the population: Refers to the remaining population excluding descendants and foreign-born with two foreign-born parents.

1. Gender Gaps Persist in Employment

Employment rates for foreign-born Africans reveal significant gender disparities. Men consistently outperform women, with Denmark showing the smallest gap (77% vs. 60%) and Norway the largest (72% vs. 46%). In contrast, the rest of the population achieves much higher employment rates for both genders, with minimal disparities, underscoring the unique barriers faced by foreign-born women. (find the figures below)

2. Women Drive Generational Progress

African descendants, particularly women, show remarkable generational progress. Women’s employment rates rise to 70% in Denmark, 76% in Norway, and 77% in Sweden, significantly closing the gender gap. Men among descendants also approach employment levels of the rest of the population, particularly in Norway (72%) and Sweden (71%). However, these gains are uneven, and descendants still fall short of the rest of the population, especially in Denmark.

3. Rest of the Population Sets the Benchmark

The rest of the population continues to lead with employment rates of 85-87% for men and 81-86% for women across the Nordics. These rates highlight persistent gaps compared to African-origin populations, especially foreign-born women, whose employment levels lag by up to 40 percentage points. Even among descendants, gaps remain, emphasizing the need for targeted policies to bridge these disparities.

Sources

• Innvandring og innvandrere i Norden 2016-2022. Statistisk sentralbyrå (2024)
• State of the Nordic Region 2024. The Nordic Geography of Diversity. Nordregio (2024)
• Nordic Statistics Database: Integration and Migration

This analysis complements the themes of the 2024 Nordic Conference on Integration, which emphasizes practical solutions for addressing employment gaps in migrant families. What strategies do you believe could help close these gaps? Share your ideas below!