Mobile vulnerabilities: perspectives on the vulnerabilities of immigrants in the Finnish labour market

Abstract In this article, the types of vulnerability faced by immigrants in the Finnish labour market are investigated in relation to differences in their ethnic origin. Labour‐market performance of immigrants is analysed by local labour‐market area. The most successful immigrants are so‐called Westerners. By contrast immigrants from the developing world face severe problems, especially the fundamental one of getting started in the labour market. High unemployment levels in Finland, the low esteem attributed to foreign work experience by Finnish employers, and inadequate language skills are the main barriers encountered by labour‐market entrants from abroad. There are more jobs for migrants in the major southern cities than in the smaller centres of other regions. Those who are unemployed during the first year after immigration are likely to continue to face problems thereafter. Only a fifth of unemployed immigrants succeeded in finding a job in their first year after arrival year. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.