Bridging or Breaking the System? Analysing Denmark's Transition Away from Jobcenters and Its Effect on Immigrant Labour Inclusion

Bakhshi, Human ; Pettey, Nicholas Ross

4. term

Culture, Communication and Globalization, Master

2025

2025-05-30

74

Danmark ændrer i 2025 sin måde at organisere beskæftigelsesindsatsen på ved at afskaffe Jobcenter-systemet, som hidtil har varetaget mange kerneopgaver, især for immigranter og flygtninge. Dette speciale undersøger, hvilke mekanismer for arbejdsmarkedsintegration der går tabt eller opstår med reformen i april 2025, og hvordan ændringerne påvirker effekter, gevinster og risici sammenlignet med tidligere modeller. Specialet bygger på teorier om social, kulturel og menneskelig kapital – forstået som henholdsvis netværk og relationer, kendskab til normer og koder samt kompetencer og uddannelse – og anvender en interpretivistisk, eksplorativ casestudietilgang. Empirien omfatter semistrukturerede interviews med kommunale medarbejdere og andre aktører i reformen samt dokumentanalyse af politiske materialer og relevant litteratur. Resultaterne peger på, at afskaffelsen af Jobcentrene betyder et tab af centrale integrationsmekanismer: standardiseret adgang til støtte, stabile relationer mellem immigranter og sagsbehandlere samt institutionel genkendelighed, der tidligere hjalp med at navigere i bureaukrati og beskæftigelsessystem. Disse strukturer byggede brobyggende social kapital ved at forbinde nytilkomne med arbejdsgivere, fagforeninger og bredere netværk og støttede samtidig udviklingen af kulturel og menneskelig kapital, som er vigtig for varig beskæftigelse. Reformen introducerer samtidig nye mekanismer: større kommunalt selvstyre, øget inddragelse af private aktører, mere individuel støtte og resultatbaseret styring (fokus på målbare resultater). Selvom målet er mere fleksibilitet og effektivitet, rejser ændringerne bekymringer om geografiske forskelle i tilbud, uens kvalitet og marginalisering af personer med lav systemforståelse eller små netværk. For mange immigranter, især ikke-vestlige, kan fraværet af central, struktureret vejledning gøre vejen til meningsfuldt arbejde vanskeligere. Den tematiske analyse understreger behovet for at bevare adgang til institutionel, social og symbolsk kapital (fx anerkendelse og legitimitet) under velfærdsforandringer. Specialet argumenterer for, at decentralisering og innovation rummer potentiale, men bør følges af stærkt tilsyn, inkluderende politikdesign og investeringer i kultursensitive indsatser. Dermed bidrager studiet til den bredere debat om integrationspolitik og velfærdsreformer ved at belyse de levede konsekvenser af systemiske ændringer for sårbare grupper i liberale demokratier.

In 2025, Denmark is reshaping its employment and integration system by abolishing the Jobcenter model, which has long coordinated services, especially for immigrants and refugees. This thesis examines which integration mechanisms are lost or introduced by the April 2025 reform and how these changes affect effectiveness, benefits, and risks compared with earlier models. The study is guided by theories of social, cultural, and human capital—understood as networks and relationships, knowledge of norms and practices, and skills and education—and uses an interpretivist, exploratory case study approach. Empirical data include semi-structured interviews with municipal officials and other stakeholders involved in the reform, alongside document analysis of policy materials and academic literature. Findings show that removing Jobcenters leads to the loss of standardized access to support, stable relationships between immigrants and caseworkers, and institutional familiarity that previously helped people navigate bureaucracy and the labor market. These structures were key to building bridging social capital by connecting newcomers to employers, unions, and broader support networks, while also fostering cultural and human capital needed for sustained employment. At the same time, the reform introduces greater municipal autonomy, more involvement of private actors, a shift toward individualized support, and results-based governance (a focus on measurable outcomes). Although designed to increase flexibility and efficiency, these changes raise concerns about geographic disparities in provision, uneven quality, and the marginalization of people with low system literacy or limited networks. For many immigrants, especially those from non-Western backgrounds, the loss of centralized, structured guidance may make it harder to access meaningful employment. The thematic analysis highlights the need to preserve access to institutional, social, and symbolic capital (such as recognition and legitimacy) during welfare transformations. The thesis argues that decentralization and innovation have promise but must be paired with strong oversight, inclusive policy design, and investment in culturally responsive services. In doing so, it contributes to broader debates on integration policy and welfare reform by illuminating the lived consequences of systemic change for vulnerable populations in liberal democracies.

[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

Labour Market Integration ; Immigrants and Refugees ; Jobcenters ; Capital Theory ; Danish Welfare Reform

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