Strengthening the demand for migrant skills in Sweden

Demand for low-skilled workers is weak in Sweden. And while all lowskilled workers face this paucity of low-skilled jobs, migrants face particular hurdles. Private sector employers may be uncertain of how to assess qualifications and experience obtained abroad, and prefer to avoid the risk they may be reluctant to hire migrants due to concerns over their productivity or they may simply choose not to hire immigrant workers on the basis of discrimination. This chapter investigates these constraints on the demand for migrant skills as well as the policy responses that attempt to tackle them including wage subsidies and anti-discrimination policies.