# Foreign-born professionals face systemic hiring barriers in Sweden High-skilled immigrants are increasingly leaving Sweden due to persistent employment discrimination and bias. - **Source:** [SVT – Inrikes](https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [careers](https://brifing.si/c/careers) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/bd95e25b-f66b-4177-a87b-e555a38ffed9 ## Architect seeks opportunities abroad Haya Alshahel, a 30-year-old architect who graduated from KTH, left Sweden after failing to secure employment despite her qualifications. Originally from Raqqa, Syria, she arrived in Sweden in 2014. After exhausting her efforts to find work locally, she moved to Switzerland to pursue an internship at an architecture firm. ## Systemic discrimination in hiring Alshahel believes the current political climate in Sweden has fueled xenophobia among employers, making them hesitant to hire immigrants. She describes a culture where companies avoid perceived risks, leading to repeated rejections. This environment has forced highly educated professionals to seek career development and financial stability in other European countries. ## Quantifying the hiring bias Sociology professor Magnus Bygren conducted a study using thousands of fictional job applications to measure labor market inequality. The research revealed that candidates with names originating from the Middle East or former Yugoslavia face a 30 percent lower chance of receiving an initial response from Swedish employers compared to others. ## Patterns of workplace segregation Bygren notes that discrimination is more pronounced in sectors dominated by native-born employees and female-majority professions. Interestingly, job advertisements emphasizing specific competencies often inadvertently reinforce these biases. Research since the early 2000s confirms a persistent segregation, where employers frequently question the language skills, values, and social codes of foreign-born applicants. ## Mitigating recruitment bias To reduce inequality in hiring, Bygren suggests implementing structured interviews and establishing clear, objective requirements. Using multiple evaluators during the selection process can also help minimize individual biases. These tools aim to ensure that candidates are judged on their professional merits rather than subjective perceptions regarding their background or origin. ## Rising trend of emigration Last year, 52,418 individuals aged 25–69 were registered as emigrants in the Swedish population records. Statistics Sweden reports that this outward migration is increasing most rapidly among people born outside of Europe. This trend highlights a growing dissatisfaction among foreign-born residents who struggle to find work matching their professional expertise. ## Risk of brain drain Bygren warns that the inability to match skilled immigrants with appropriate jobs leads to a significant brain drain. When highly educated individuals cannot utilize their training, they are likely to leave the country permanently. This loss of talent poses a long-term challenge for the Swedish economy and its future workforce development. ## Broader labor market implications While discrimination is slightly lower in low-skilled roles where many foreign-born workers are already employed, the barrier remains high for professional positions. The ongoing struggle for integration suggests that structural changes in recruitment are necessary to retain international talent and prevent the continued exodus of skilled workers from Sweden. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/haya-flyttade-till-schweiz-svart-att-fa-jobb-med-utlandsk-namn — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._