What is the position of immigrants on the labor market in Overijssel?
`Unemployment among immigrants is higher than among native Dutch citizens in this province. Times have changed; in the 1990s, it was the minorities who profited from the economic growth. Between 1999 and 2001 unemployment fell for this group, but afterwards it rose again. The recent increase in employment is highest in the category “other minorities,” which includes many former asylum seekers and recent immigrants.'
Yet in the report you are optimistic about future job prospects for minorities?
`That's right. The long-term expectation is that the job market will restore itself. In 2006 there will probably be a new shortage on the job market. Apart from that, we'll have to deal with ageing in the native Dutch population. That means that in the future there will certainly be a demand for immigrant workers. Municipalities will have to start working now on activating, educating and reintegrating this group.'
Where will be the job opportunities in the future?
`There will mostly be a demand for moderately schooled workers - at least intermediate vocational education - in the services sector. The problem is that many young people don't reach that level; many drop out of school. It is therefore crucial to prevent them from dropping out. Apart from that, we will also have to work on naturalization, in order to increase the educational level of minorities, for example by combining language education with job-training programs.'
Trans. Jeroen Latour
