LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION OF THIRD COUNTRY WORKERS IN THE EU: A RESEARCH OUTLINE

Abstract

In this paper we argue that integration of third-country workers into the EU labour market is a multi-dimensional and multi-faceted process that requires analysis at three levels simultaneously: micro, meso, and macro. Traditional integration paradigms often focus only on the host society. However, recent theoretical advancements emphasize transnational, transcultural, and transsocial dimensions (Pries, 2016; Mau, 2007; Faist, 2000; de Haas, Castles & Miller, 2020). Moreover, forms of transsociation as argued by.Kaiser (2003) expand the theoretical lens by considering not only "here" (host country) and "there" (origin country), but also the "in-between"—the plurilocal nevertheless societal embedded life projects that migrants develop across different social and economic spaces. The increasing mobility of people, ideas, values, and knowledge in an interconnected world challenges state-centered models of integration (Noller, 2000). Integration takes place into the host societies and translocal migrant communities simultaneously varying significantly between different migratory and host society figurations. Migrant labour integration is no longer confined to national territories but occurs within fluid transnational social spaces, where migrants navigate multiple memberships in both their home and host societies. These perspectives reshape how we understand state-migrant relations, institutional policies, and individual agency in the labour market integration process (de Haas, 2024). At the micro-level, integration is shaped by individual migrants' experiences, their legal status, education, social capital, and cultural adaptation. Migrants are not passive subjects of integration policies but active agents who construct their own social and professional trajectories. This challenges fixed national identities and highlights multi-layered belonging and flexible participation in different social spheres. At the meso-level, institutions, labour market structures, and migration policies shape third-country workers' integration. The EU’s migration governance framework (the Blue Card Directive; the 2024 EU Migration Pact, etc.) is characterized by tensions between national sovereignty and supranational coordination, Employers, trade unions, and civil society organizations mediate labour market access by advocating for equal rights, skill recognition, and fair working conditions. The sectoral demand for migrant labour in healthcare, construction, tourism and agriculture creates fragmented labour integration paths, where some workers experience rapid inclusion while others remain in precarious or informal employment. At the macro-level, labour market integration is shaped by global demographic shifts, migration policies, and economic interdependencies. The EU faces a paradox: On the one hand, aging populations and labour shortages create a demand for migrant workers, leading to policy initiatives like the EU Global Gateway, which invests in human capital development in origin countries. On the other hand, border controls, restrictive visa regimes, and externalization policies (such as agreements with transit countries to limit migration flows) complicate the labour integration process (ICMPD, 2024). The transnational nature of migration disrupts traditional state-centric frameworks, as migrants build economic and social networks that transcend national boundaries (de Brouwer, 2024). Transsociation and transnational labour markets highlight how migrant workers participate in multiple economic systems simultaneously, challenging fixed categorizations of "immigrant" and "native." Future empirical studies on the labour market integration of third-country workers in the EU should adopt a multi-level and mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative surveys to assess employment patterns, legal status, and economic mobility with qualitative interviews exploring migrants' experiences of plurilocal life strategies, and transnational social space interactions (Pries, 2016). A comparative approach across different EU countries and sectors would provide insights into how institutional frameworks, employer policies, and individual agency interact in shaping migrant labour integration within both national and transnational contexts.