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“Can Someone Help Me?” Refugee Women’s Experiences of Using Settlement Agencies to Find Work in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Sonja Senthanar

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Ellen MacEachen

    (University of Waterloo)

  • Stephanie Premji

    (McMaster University)

  • Philip Bigelow

    (University of Waterloo)

Abstract

This article examines refugee women’s experience with settlement agencies and their employment outcomes in Canada. Based on qualitative data, we found that employment was not a priority to settlement agencies with many counselors referring the women to low-skilled, low-waged positions with companies with whom they had pre-existing ties. Meanwhile, counselors found themselves burdened with large workloads and felt inadequately equipped to serve the needs of refugees. Through this study, we propose policy recommendations that address women’s disproportional barriers that can be integrated within programs and services offered by settlement agencies to improve employment integration.

Suggested Citation

  • Sonja Senthanar & Ellen MacEachen & Stephanie Premji & Philip Bigelow, 2020. "“Can Someone Help Me?” Refugee Women’s Experiences of Using Settlement Agencies to Find Work in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 273-294, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:21:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s12134-019-00729-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-019-00729-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kristyn Frank, 2013. "Immigrant Employment Success in C anada: Examining the Rate of Obtaining a Job Match," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 76-105, March.
    2. Pieter Bevelander & Ravi Pendakur, 2012. "The labour market integration of refugee and family reunion immigrants: A comparison of outcomes in Canada and Sweden," Norface Discussion Paper Series 2012041, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.
    3. Thomas Liebig & Kristian Rose Tronstad, 2018. "Triple Disadvantage?: A first overview of the integration of refugee women," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 216, OECD Publishing.
    4. Sylvia Fuller & Todd F. Martin, 2012. "Predicting Immigrant Employment Sequences in the First Years of Settlement," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 138-190, March.
    5. Bevelander, Pieter & Pendakur, Ravi, 2012. "The Labour Market Integration of Refugee and Family Reunion Immigrants: A Comparison of Outcomes in Canada and Sweden," IZA Discussion Papers 6924, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    Cited by:

    1. Seonho Shin, 2022. "Evaluating the Effect of the Matching Grant Program for Refugees: An Observational Study Using Matching, Weighting, and the Mantel-Haenszel Test," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 103-133, March.
    2. Bešić, Almina & Aigner, Petra, 2023. "Action, Reaction and Resignation: How Refugee Women and Support Organisations Respond to Labour Market Integration Challenges during the Covid-19 Pandemic," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    3. Hui Zhang & Luciara Nardon, 2024. "Pre-Employment Mentoring Programs and Immigrant Labor Market Integration," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1501-1524, September.
    4. Lilian Negura & Corinna Buhay & Annamaria Silvana de Rosa, 2021. "Mirrored Social Representations of Canadian Caseworkers with Migratory Paths Intervening with Refugees in the Host Country," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-20, August.
    5. Ghada Abid, 2020. "Literature Review on Best Practices in Government-Funded Services Supporting the Resettlement and Integration of Government-Assisted Refugees," CSLS Research Reports 2020-09, Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
    6. Chevrier, Sylvie & Goiseau, Elise & Lugosi, Peter & Rase, Jean-François, 2023. "Managing mentoring for the labor market integration of humanitarian migrants," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(6).
    7. Ortlieb, Renate & Knappert, Lena, 2023. "Labor market integration of refugees: An institutional country-comparative perspective," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(2).

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