Employer logics in the low-wage sector and their influences on refugees’ labor market entry and sustainable employment

This study investigates the role of employers in facilitating refugees’ entry into the labour market and their prospects for sustainable employment within the low-wage sector. It does so through the lens of employer logics, manifested in HRM practices, HR philosophies, and other organisational characteristics. Focusing on three Swedish retail companies, the study identifies three distinct employer logics – one dominant logic in each firm – in the low-wage sector: the logic of efficiency, the logic of community engagement, and the logic of diversity. These logics determine who is hired, who is excluded, and who is offered opportunities for upward mobility versus those who remain stagnant positions. Applying resource dependency and labour market segmentation theories, the study also highlights the tensions created by employer logics in the low-wage sector regarding the labour market integration of refugees. A central tension lies in opening doors to refugees, but only partially: while opportunities for labour market entry are created, access to stable, long-term employment remains limited. This and other identified tensions have implications not only for individual refugees’ employment prospects but also for the reproduction or potential reduction of labour market segmentation into ’primary“ and ”secondary’ workforces.