This work is linked to studies on the role of social networks in gaining access to the labour market.

The role of the immigrants' networks had been quite significant in securing jobs themselves, as half of the informants' entire employment spells had been obtained with the direct assistance of their social ties. This practical assistance in the provision of job information and in the acquisition of employment had been crucial for the immigrants especially at the beginning of their careers as it had helped get their feet on the ground in the new socio-cultural reality.

The economic crisis in the 1990s marked the onset of widespread unemployment, the consequences of which were more severe for the foreign population. The unemployment rate of immigrants hit 53 per cent in 1994, while the national average was approximately 20 per cent. The unemployment rate among immigrants in 2003 stood at around 29 per cent. In general, the occupational careers of immigrants in Finland typically feature alternate spells of temporary work, unemployment and employment.

The data for the study was collected in two ways. First, the participant-observation method was used in order to obtain first-hand experience of the employment situation of non-nationals in the Finnish labour market. The scope of their opportunities was explored through job information located via impersonal sources such as newspapers and the national employment agency. This objective was realized by answering 400 job advertisements and going through all the processes that a job seeker generally encounters in applying for a particular post. Secondly, 40 semi-structured interviews of an ethnographic and exploratory nature were conducted among immigrants originating from the Indian subcontinent residing in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

The findings show that, despite the nationwide well-established system of public employment agencies in Finland, and the relatively easy access this formal channel offers to job seekers regarding information about new vacancies, social networks still constitute a substantial source of job information and employment opportunities for immigrants in the Finnish labour market. The significance of these networks is particularly strong for non-nationals who, because of having originated from outside the social system, may find access to employment opportunities rather restricted in the host society.

The findings reveal that for the majority of the immigrants included in this study the transmission of job information had occurred through informal channels and reliance on such personal means had persisted throughout most of their occupational careers. In particular, their ethnic friends and kin often acted as transmitters of job information.

University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Science, Department of Sociology
Akhlaq Ahmad, tel. +358 9 191 23882

01/11/2005

Akhlaq Ahmad

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Employment