Work

International graduates in Sweden. The role of high-tech sectors, analytical knowledge and cultural distance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This paper analyzes the career paths of international students in Sweden after graduation. By matching individual data on international graduates with information about their employers, we analyse the sectors in which they began their careers in Sweden after graduation between 2003 and 2014. We propose that international graduates find better job opportunities in firms operating in sectors that require a higher level of analytical knowledge and in expanding sectors with a higher demand for skilled workers. Our findings indicate that international graduates are more likely than Swedish graduates to work in high-tech sectors, both in manufacturing and services, as well as in expanding low-knowledge-intensity service sectors. These findings apply mainly to international graduates from more culturally distant foreign countries.

Source: Industry and Innovation

DOI: 10.1080/13662716.2026.2637177

Authors: Claudio Fassio, Ioana Igna

Institutions: University of Pisa, Lund University, Copenhagen Business School

Language: English

Topic: Migration and Labor Dynamics

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Jan Wallanders och Tom Hedelius Stiftelse samt Tore Browaldhs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd