The Times They are A-Changin': Organizational Change and Immigrant Employment Opportunities in Scandinavia

37 Pages Posted: 18 Apr 2001

See all articles by Michael Rosholm

Michael Rosholm

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics; IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Amternes og Kommunernes Forskningsinstitut (AKF)

Kirk Scott

Lund University

Leif Husted

Institute of Local Government Studies

Date Written: February 2001

Abstract

This article compares and contrasts male immigrant labor market experiences in Sweden and Denmark during the period 1985 - 1995. Using register-based panel data sets from Sweden and Denmark, a picture of the employment assimilation process of immigrants from Norway, Poland, Turkey, and Iran is brought forth. The comparative approach shows that immigrants in Sweden and Denmark experienced similar declines in employment prospects between 1985 and 1995 despite quite different developments of aggregate labor market conditions. The explanation offered here is that the changing organizational structure ? towards more flexible work organization - has resulted in a decrease in the attractiveness of immigrant employees due to the increasing importance of country-specific skills and informal human capital.

Keywords: Immigrants, employment assimilation, organizational change

JEL Classification: J61, J71, L23, O30

Suggested Citation

Rosholm, Michael and Scott, Kirk and Husted, Leif, The Times They are A-Changin': Organizational Change and Immigrant Employment Opportunities in Scandinavia (February 2001). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=265637 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.265637

Michael Rosholm (Contact Author)

Aarhus University - Department of Economics and Business Economics ( email )

Fuglesangs Allé 4
Aarhus V
Denmark
+45 89 42 15 59 (Phone)
+45 86 13 63 34 (Fax)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Amternes og Kommunernes Forskningsinstitut (AKF)

Nyropsgade 37
Copenhagen, DK-1602
Denmark

Kirk Scott

Lund University

Department of Economic History
S-220 07 Lund
Sweden

Leif Husted

Institute of Local Government Studies ( email )

Nyropsgade 37
DK-1602 Copenhagen V
Denmark

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