Is language skills in Swedish the key to success in the labor market for immigrants?

The project studies the importance of Swedish language skills for immigrants’ chance of getting a job in the Swedish labor market. Language skills in Swedish is often emphasized as a key factor for a successful entry into the labor market. Economic theory also says that language skills are an important part of a person's human capital and thus should increase the chance of getting a job.

However, knowledge of these issues is incomplete, and there is a lack of reliable studies on how employers assess a jobseeker's Swedish skills in recruitment decisions. The project uses an experimental approach to investigate how different levels of knowledge in Swedish affect a foreign-born jobseeker's chance of being recruited for an advertised job.

Published research results

Carlsson, Magnus, Stefan Eriksson, and Dan-Olof Rooth. (2023). "Language Proficiency and Hiring of Immigrants: Evidence from a New Field Experimental Approach". IZA Discussion paper No. 15950.
Eriksson, Stefan and Dan-Olof Rooth. (2022). God svenska – vägen till arbete för utrikes födda? SNS förlag.

The infographic shows how recruiters assess and value Swedish skills in simulated job interviews. The curve with language assessment confirms that they can assess spoken Swedish. The curve with job chance shows that they prefer to hire a job seeker with better knowledge of Swedish

Click on the image to read more about the infographic.

Attention in the media

"Svag svenska hindrar många från att få jobb."
Debate article in Svenska Dagbladet.

"God svenska - vägen till arbete?"
Broadcast on Forum from the SNS presentation.

"Det är svårare att få jobb om man inte kan bra svenska."
Interview in Swedish radio.

Researchers

Stefan Eriksson

Magnus Carlsson

Dan-Olof Rooth