Abstract (eng)
This master thesis deals with the integration of asylum seekers and acknowledged refugees into the labour market of Upper Austria.
Using the Federal State of Upper Austria as a case study, a brief presentation of the international and national legal framework for the integration into the labour market is offered. In addition, a number of concrete measures implemented by the provincial government of Upper Austria, the Labour Market Service and several other initiatives to facilitate a swift incorporation of asylum seekers and refugees in the Upper Austrian labour market are highlighted. The focus lies on the challenges of labour market integration in the context of governmental framework conditions.
By using existing literature as well as semi-guided interviews with experts and refugees, the situation of labour market integration specific to Upper Austria is analysed. The concept of “social integration” by Hartmut Esser serves as the theoretical basis. The latter addresses the participation of individual actors in social life, such as the granting of rights, the acquisition of language skills, participation in public and political life, emotional identification with the host country and participation in the education system and the labour market.