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Essential? COVID-19 and highly educated Africans in Finland’s segmented labour market

Year of publication

2023

Authors

Ndomo, Quivine; Bontenbal, Ilona; Lillie, Nathan A.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to characterise the position of highly educated African migrants in the Finnish labour market and to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on that position. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on the biographical work stories of 17 highly educated African migrant workers in four occupation areas in Finland: healthcare, cleaning, restaurant and transport. The sample was partly purposively and partly theoretically determined. The authors used content driven thematic analysis technique, combined with by the biographical narrative concept of turning points. Findings Using the case of highly educated African migrants in the Finnish labour market, the authors show how student migration policies reinforce a pattern of division of labour and occupations that allocate migrant workers to typical low skilled low status occupations in the secondary sector regardless of level of education, qualification and work experience. They also show how the unique labour and skill demands of the COVID-19 pandemic incidentally made these typical migrant occupations essential, resulting in increased employment and work security for this group of migrant workers. Research limitations/implications This research and the authors’ findings are limited in scope owing to sample size and methodology. To improve applicability of findings, future studies could expand the scope of enquiry using e.g. quantitative surveys and include other stakeholders in the study group. Originality/value The paper adds to the knowledge on how migration policies contribute to labour market dualisation and occupational segmentation in Finland, illustrated by the case of highly educated African migrant workers.
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Organizations and authors

University of Jyväskylä

Bontenbal Ilona Orcid -palvelun logo

Lillie Nathan Orcid -palvelun logo

Ndomo Quivine Orcid -palvelun logo

Publication type

Publication format

Article

Parent publication type

Journal

Article type

Original article

Audience

Scientific

Peer-reviewed

Peer-Reviewed

MINEDU's publication type classification code

A1 Journal article (refereed), original research

Publication channel information

Publisher

Emerald

Volume

43

Issue

3/4

Pages

339-355

​Publication forum

58819

​Publication forum level

1

Open access

Open access in the publisher’s service

Yes

Open access of publication channel

Partially open publication channel

Self-archived

Yes

Other information

Fields of science

Social policy

Keywords

[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Publication country

United Kingdom

Internationality of the publisher

International

Language

English

International co-publication

No

Co-publication with a company

No

DOI

10.1108/ijssp-06-2022-0171

The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection

Yes