Devoted to work and to family: Skilled migrant mothers searching for job in Finland

The aim of this article is to study the job search experiences of skilled migrant mothers from an intersectional perspective. Qualitative research methods are used to understand individual situations of the participants. Interdisciplinary research combines literature from different theoretical traditions from migration studies, gender studies, and working life studies. Skilled migrants are often considered a privileged segment. However, being a skilled female migrant yields no automatic success regarding labour market integration in Finland. As women mostly move to Finland voluntarily, for family reasons, often following their spouse, they may lack work and professional networks. This study shows how migration as a spouse can have negative gendered costs for individuals’ employment opportunities. This article contributes to and expands on previous work on the complexity of skilled migrant women’s and mother’s job search processes. The findings indicate that the intersection of multiple categories shapes the experiences of skilled migrant mothers. Family type, such as single motherhood and heavy caregiving responsibilities, can slow down the job search process. Also, the Finnish labour market still exhibits structural forms of discrimination that hinder women’s access to employment.