Adjustment failures in an immigrant population: Finns in Sweden

Authors: Saarela, Jan; Finnäs, Fjalar

Source: Social Indicators Research, Volume 82, Number 3, July 2007 , pp. 545-563(19)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Using data sets from both Sweden and Finland, which have been linked at the individual level, we analyse whether Finnish immigrants who lived in Sweden in 1990 were employed, non-employed, return-migrated, or dead by 2001. The aim is to see how they interrelate with socio-demographic characteristics, and to compare Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking immigrants in this respect. Multinomial logistic regression models reveal that there is great variation in the level of outcomes between the two language groups, but that the interrelation between socio-demographic factors and each outcome is fairly similar across outcomes and across language groups. It is foremost the Finnish-speaking male immigrants who experience problems, having on average two times higher odds of being either non-employed, return-migrated, or death, as compared with Swedish-speaking male immigrants. Social disadvantage may consequently not only take the form of poor labour market position, but also return-migration and death. The paper illustrates the need for separating subgroups of immigrants when one is interested in integrational success.

Keywords: adjustment failures; immigrants; language groups; long-term integration

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-006-9050-x

Affiliations: 1: Email: jan.saarela@abo.fi

Publication date: 2007-07-01