Cultural diversity on the Flemish workplace (R-5581)

Unemployment among workers born abroad is 2.5 times higher than among the native Belgians. In Flanders in 2010 only 44.4% of non-naturalized immigrants were employed. Given the fact that in these statistics immigrants from the 2nd and 3rd generation that automatically acquire Belgian nationality at birth and naturalized immigrants from the 1st generation are missing, the actual number of immigrant job seekers is underestimated. The EU27 average is 58.5%; thus, an important gap to close before 2020. Only 29.9% of non-naturalized female immigrants are employed. 57.8% does not offer themselves on the labor market (compared to 29% of native women). In the explanation of the low representation of immigrants on the Flemish labor market, a low educational level, language deficiency and institutional barriers are important factors. But also socio-cultural factors and the demand on the labor market play a major role. On the one hand immigrants have an unrealistic image of the labor market and their chances, as well as low self-esteem (few role models); on the other hand employers often have a very negative image on the work ethic of this part of the population (commitment and motivation).

Keywords:linguistics

Disciplines:Languages and literary studies