Entering the workforce in Halifax : strategies and coping mechanisms among the African migrant community

Abstract

This study investigates the experiences of Sub-Saharan African migrants entering the job market in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Informed by Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and the Labour Market Segmentation theory, this study examines the experiences, strategies used, challenges and barriers faced, available support, and coping mechanisms of the migrants. An online survey of 30 respondents and a key informant interview were used. Findings from the study showed that they use strategies such as volunteering, multiple applications, course certification, networking and using job fairs and job search engines, and sometimes settling with the jobs with lesser qualifications and language competence. The barriers identified were systemic discrimination and racism, cultural/social differences, and individual limitations. The available support for them was found to be inadequate due to growing numbers of migrants and reducing job opportunities in the province. They drew on the support of the black communities, their social networks, and native born Canadians as coping mechanisms. The study highlights how interconnected relationships between the individual, group, and systematic factors shape the experiences of labour market integration of Sub-Saharan African migrants in Halifax.