It is a challenge to actually increase the percentage of immigrants working in the municipal organs, particularly on higher levels. Without positive action and multiculturalisation projects, changes don’t occur. There is a tendency of managers to choose for aplicants that look them them, and its difficult to convince them that hidden and unintended discrimination takes place.

Every year a target percentage is set for every (sub)department, related to the percentage in the work force. Without positive action it is not possible to reach the target, so both when hiring staff and when choosing who to give a higher position, preference is given to women, immigrants and disabled. Existing rules within the administration, like choosing internal candidates first, are avoided by stating very specific multicultural requirements for the aplicants.

In the period 2001-2006 the total percentage of immigrants in the total municipal work force has remained more or less the same, namely 22%. The target for that period of 27% was not reached in 2006, so the new target in 2007 is again 27%.

The municipal administration profits by getting access to an increasing pool of young employees and being able to become more diverse; employees profit by getting jobs; the public profits by getting better adjusted more diverse service.

Regular fund of the municipal of Amsterdam

Platform Amsterdam Samen, City of Amsterdam
Marian Visser (Contact person for the CLIP network, working at Platform Amsterdam Samen), tel. 00-31-20-2518625

01/01/1997

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Integration of social groups