Netherlands: Highly educated immigrants have a harder time finding work

Highly educated immigrants have a harder time finding a job than highly educated ethnic Dutch. According to Arnold Enklaar, co-manager of Ucar & Enklaar coaching and cultural consultancy, Dutch must be clearer about the social proficiencies they want to see by immigrants. It is difficult to impose those since ethnic Dutch don't want anything imposed on them either. The Dutch create the implication that everything is allowed, but meanwhile they maintain tough rules.

Arend Odé, head of the population and integration department of Regionplan, doesn't want to epxlain the weaker position of immigrants only though culture differences. The workings of the job market also playes a role. The group of highly educated immigrants has come later and as soon as things get worse, they go out first. A study of the Central Bureau for Statistics shows that in 2007 9.1% of the immigrant labor force didn't have a job. In 2006 that was 12%.

A study of Regioplan shows that 10% of immigrants have problems communicating in Dutch. At the same time, immigrant applicants use the CWI and job centers more often and those are not the most appropriate channels for finding high-grade work.

Source: MKBnet (Dutch)

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