Routes into employment: migrant aspirations and employer strategies
Routes into employment: migrant aspirations and employer strategies
This chapter examines migrant aspirations and employer recruitment strategies in the aftermath of EU enlargement. Polish migrants were attracted to Ireland by the prospect of an endless supply of jobs and a higher income. However, non-economic motives such as the desire to travel and to learn the English language were also present. Upon arrival in Ireland, migrants found employment in both skilled and less-skilled jobs, utilising a number of formal and informal recruitment channels. On the employer side, the chapter documents how Ireland’s open labour market policy transformed the recruitment strategies of Irish firms. Whereas pre-enlargement firms were more likely to recruit migrants from outside of the European Economic Area, this changed after 2004 and the arrival of a qualified workforce. As employers were keen to fill labour shortages, Ireland’s ‘goldrush’ labour market appeared as a ‘win-win’ situation for both sides of the employment relationship.
Keywords: employers, EU enlargement, migrant aspirations, open labour market policy, recruitment
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