Working Conditions of Foreign-Born Employees in Finland

Overview
The project examines the working conditions of foreign-born employees in Finland. The study combines quantitative and qualitative data to build a comprehensive understanding of both the structural characteristics of working conditions and employees’ own experiences. The aim is to generate knowledge about the working conditions in which foreign-born employees work and how they experience their everyday work environments.
Background
The study significantly complements and expands current knowledge of working conditions in Finland by focusing on the specific challenges faced by foreign-born employees, an area that has not previously been examined systematically. The project addresses a research gap between two earlier strands of research: on the one hand, generalizable quantitative assessments of working conditions that have not focused on foreign-born employees, and on the other hand, qualitative studies that have examined the working conditions of migrant workers in individual sectors.

Objectives and Research Tasks
The study investigates the working conditions of foreign-born employees in Finland from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.
The quantitative component analyzes data from working conditions surveys, labour force surveys, and a survey to be conducted within the project to assess the working conditions of foreign-born employees in comparison with the overall working population.
The qualitative component examines foreign-born employees’ own everyday experiences of working conditions and workplace environments.
The study explores:
• how the working conditions of foreign-born employees differ from those of other employees;
• what kinds of experiences they have of working life across different sectors; and
• which structural, institutional, and individual factors explain the observed differences.
Impact

Ensuring that employees with Finnish and foreign backgrounds can work under equal and safe working conditions requires not only research but also national-, sector-, and workplace-level measures that support competitive and inclusive labour markets.
We investigate and propose good practices and effective policy measures that promote the development of equitable working conditions for both foreign-born and Finland-born employees while advancing fairness in workplaces. Sustainable working conditions strengthen well-being and productivity within work communities and across the labour market more broadly.