The North Africa Journal: High Unemployment among Immigrants in France 

High Unemployment among Immigrants in France
================================================================================
The North Africa Journal on 02 June, 2008 06:31:00
 
France is a tough place for immigrants as jobs remain difficult to find. The
French institute INSEE found that in 2007, the unemployment rate among
immigrants in France was twice the national average, settling at 15.2%. A total
of 361,000 legal immigrants over the age of 15 were officially looking for a
job. The biggest problem plaguing the unemployed population is limited to no
professional qualifications or skills. As such, more than 20% of the workforce
in no-skill jobs such as security, cleaning, and general services are held by
immigrants. In the Ile-de-France, where the city of Paris is located, nearly 70%
of cleaning companies’ workforces are immigrants.
But the plight of immigrants extends beyond the unskilled workers. Even among
qualified and skilled immigrants, the unemployment rate is three times bigger
than the general population. Many of these skilled workers carry foreign
degrees, which are often not recognized by the French authorities or hiring
companies, while discrimination is also widely believed to be significant in
hiring decisions. Further evidence of discrimination based on ethnicity is the
fact that workers from European countries such as Portugal, Spain or Italy tend
to be on par with the French. In contrast, Algerians and Turkish immigrants face
the worst environment.