Job opportunities and job search tools What have Roma experienced in Slovakia and how are they?

Proceedings of The 4th World Conference on Social Sciences Studies

Year: 2022

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/4th.3sconf.2022.11.101

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Job opportunities and job search tools What have Roma experienced in Slovakia and how are they?

Lydia Gabcova

ABSTRACT: 

The post presents the perspective of Roma originally living in Slovakia in excluded communities in underdeveloped regions relocated to the United Kingdom (UK) for work and better living conditions.

In 23 conducted interviews with Roma respondents from Slovakia, we were interested to find out what whas the main reason of those Roma for leaving their home country and what was needed for their adaptation in UK as well what were the biggest obstacle they were dealing with. The aim is to compare their experience of finding a job in Slovakia and subsequently in the UK. We compare experiences, assistance services or other available options available to jobseekers in both countries. Most of the participants in the research have a negative experience with access and treatment at various institutions in Slovakia.

In the UK, on the other hand, not a single respondent had such an experience, although the country’s entire exit campaign from the European Union was in the spirit of increased control of migrants. Discrimination or anti-Roma sentiments across Europe are not the only reason why the Roma have also chosen UK as their new homeland. The interviews we conducted as part of our research showed that the biggest motivation is the abundance and availability of job opportunities related to better living conditions. In the paper, we will also look at the hypothesis of the magnet of well-being, the theory saying  that migration decisions are made based on the generosity of social benefits in the country to which they migrate.

keywords: abuse of social benefit, barriers, labor market, Roma, theory of the magnet