Highly Skilled Migrant and Non-MigrantWomen and Men: How Do Differences in Quality of Employment Arise?

<p>Research shows that highly skilled migrant women often have poor quality jobs or no</p> <p>employment. This paper addresses two research gaps. First, it provides a comparative perspective</p> <p>that examines differences and commonalities in the quality of employment of four highly skilled</p> <p>groups: migrant- and non-migrant women and men. Four statistical indicators are examined to</p> <p>grasp these differences: employment rates, income, adequacy of paid work, and employment status.</p> <p>The results highlight the role of gender and country of birth: Swiss-born men experience the best</p> <p>employment quality, and foreign-born women the worst. Second, it offers a family perspective</p> <p>to study how the employment trajectories of skilled migrant women develop in time and place in</p> <p>relation to their partners&rsquo;. The qualitative life-course analysis indicates that skill advancement is more</p> <p>favourable for migrant and non-migrant men than for migrant and non-migrant women. However,</p> <p>skill advancement for migrant women depends greatly on the strategies enacted by domestic partners</p> <p>about how to divide paid employment and family work, and where to live. The statistical study draws</p> <p>on recent data from Swiss labour market surveys. The life-course analysis focuses on 77 biographical</p> <p>interviews with tertiary-educated individuals. Participatory Minga workshops are used to validate</p> <p>the study results.</p>