Employment Agency: There are no jobs for foreign-born illiterates

A strange situation has arisen in Filipstad after the large refugee reception in recent years. There is a shortage of labor, while there are hundreds of unemployed in the municipality.

When Assignment Review goes through the statistics, it shows how big the gap is between domestic-born and foreign-born.

In March 2019, the official unemployment rate among domestic-born was 4.8 percent. Among foreign-born, it was 41.1 percent. And according to the municipality, unemployment is even higher if you look only at people from countries outside Europe.

In this group, the municipality counts 80 percent as unemployed.

- That's what is the core problem, that there are actually no jobs for those who live here, or those who have come here recently. For the jobs that exist require something they don't have, says Jim Frölander, integration manager at Filipstad.

And what is that?

- For example, education.

In the Filipstad square, Assignment meets the football coach Hamada, he came as a refugee from Aleppo in Syria. He has only two years of schooling with him from his home country and has not learned Swedish, despite SFI studies.

- If you know the language and have education, you get a job. If you can't speak the language, it's difficult, says Hamada.

What did you work on in Syria?

- I grew wheat and was a football coach.

Assignment review seeks out Annicka Carlsson, business coordinator at the Employment Service.

Which figure is what we should use, is it 80 percent unemployment or is it 40 percent unemployment?

- If you look at the challenge in society you can use both and. That's the thing, you can't say "okay, where do employers employ the foreign-born illiterates"? Yes, there is no demand for foreign-born illiteracy, but there is a demand for labor, says Annicka Carlsson.

According to Annicka Carlsson, there is a shortage of manpower in virtually all sectors - such as healthcare, transport and industry.

She emphasizes the hospitality industry in Värmland as an industry where new arrivals can get jobs, especially with English skills.

- In Värmland, for example, we have large ski resorts.

But what kind of job are you thinking?

- They have their restaurants with everything it means, they have their hotels and cottages. They have ski slopes with lift hosts. Yes, you know, it should be slopes slopes, it should be cleaned cabins, says Annicka Carlsson.

Jim Frölander has worked for seven years as integration manager in Filipstad. He thinks that the focus should be on the children, rather than on those who are 45 years and older.

- You have to be realistic. If you are a woman who is 45 years of age with no school background and has five children, which ones should you bet on to get the most impact for your money?

What will happen to this woman then you mean?

- She will become a good citizen of the community. There are tasks to be done, but they are not financially profitable and you cannot get a job in them. However, it can be part of actually becoming a citizen of the community. And that's another thing.