A Balancing Act in Times of Crisis: Inclusion at Work and Career Advancement of Migrants in Austria

Petra Aigner (), Almina Bešić () and Christian Wenzler
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Petra Aigner: Johannes Kepler University
Almina Bešić: Johannes Kepler University
Christian Wenzler: Johannes Kepler University

Chapter 14 in The Palgrave Handbook of Global Migration in International Business, 2023, pp 303-324 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic have impacted the employment of migrants in various forms. Given the general challenges migrants face when entering and progressing in receiving countries’ labor markets, in this chapter, we address how the pandemic has affected their employment, inclusion at work, and career trajectories. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews with migrants and experts from employment support organizations in Austria, we analyze the impact of the pandemic. Our results show that the crisis has had multiple impacts on migrants’ inclusion at work and their career advancement. We identify three main themes: (1) Challenges and opportunities regarding employment and career advancement through training; (2) Career development strategies of migrants—sector-specific challenges and opportunities; (3) Meaningful employment in times of crisis and social integration at work. Overall, while the pandemic has undoubtedly brought various challenges, it has also created opportunities. For example, it has enabled some migrants to advance their education, particularly in developing digital skills. Additionally, post-Covid labor market shortages may provide an opportunity for labor market and work inclusion of migrants. Our results therefore indicate that crises can be understood as a double-edged sword, creating opportunities, on the one hand, while accelerating challenges and drawbacks, on the other.

Keywords: Migrant inclusion; Work; Career; Covid-19; Austria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-38886-6_14

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