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A. Specific reference: (author(s), year, title, source, pages) 

Eydal, Guðný Björk, & Vilhelmsdóttir, Björk. (2019). Hvaða hindrunum mætir ungt fólk sem er utan

vinnu og skóla? [The barriers met by young people outside school and work] Tímarit félagsráðgjafa,

13(1), 5-12.

The aim of the study was to examine what hinders young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) from labour market participation, education and activation. Fourteen semi structured interviews were conducted, nine with young people aged 19-25 years that were registered as long term unemployed, or in activation programs at VIRK (the Icelandic Occupational Rehabilitation fund) for young NEET clients, and five counsellors who service that group. The results provide insights into the various barriers facing these clients, as well as on the subjectivity of that barriers. While the counsellors focused on societal hindrances, such as lack of employment and financial support in accordance with the needs of their clients the young people themselves focused on their personal hindrances, mainly mental disorders.

Young people, aged 19-25, registered as long term-unemployed, or in activation programs at VIRK (the Icelandic Occupational Rehabilitation fund) for young NEET clients.

Iceland. 

a) Fourteen semi structured interviews were conducted, nine with young people aged 19-25  years that were registered as long term unemployed, or in activation programs at VIRK (the Icelandic Occupational Rehabilitation fund) for young NEET clients, and five counsellors who service that group.
b) thematic analysis.

c) Qualitative methods, as described in a).

d) Not cross-country data. 

F. Overall characteristic of the barriers identified by this study 

The importance of the results are that young people in NEET face various barriers, and also the subjectivity of the barriers. What the professionals who service the group perceive of as barriers differs to some extend from what the young people themselves perceive of as barriers. 

Barrier 1. Mental disorders (e.g., ADHD) and diseases (e.g. depression).

Barrier 2. Educational disorders (e.g., dyslexia).

Barrier 3. Inadequate financial support to enhance the situation.

Medium – It is a qualitative research with limited sample which lowers its quality. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. On the other hand, the research article is peer-reviewed.

The research sheds an important light on the subjectivity of labour market barriers, as well as on their complexity.

Anvik, Cecilie Høj, & Waldahl, Ragnhild Holmen. (2017). Excluded youth in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway. Nordisk välfärdsforskning| Nordic Welfare Research, 2(1), 17-29. doi:https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2464-4161-2017-01-03

The challenges that excluded youth/NEET youth faces in their everyday live and whether the services that are supposed to support them function properly.

Excluded, young people who are in neither education nor employment.

Island, Føroyar, Nord- Norge. 

E. Data (a.), specific measures (b.), and methods (c.), please also specify whether the study deploys cross-country data (d.)
a) Qualitative interviews with 22 excluded, young people in the three countries.

b) the data was analysed through interpretative text analysis within the genre of thematic content analysis.

c) Qualitative methods, described in a).

d) Cross-country data from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and North-Norway. 

Difficult childhoods and adolescence – contexts that continue to characterize them, in different ways, up to the present day. What distinguishes them is that, amongst the young people who participated in the research, particularly in the Faroe Islands but also in Iceland, most were very seriously mentally ill before it was recognised.

G. Brief description of the specific barrier(s) the target group faces as identified in this study
Barrier 1. Under-diagnoses of mental illnesses.

Medium – It is qualitative research with limited sample of young people which lowers its quality. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. On the other hand, the research article is peer-reviewed. 

I. Other comments: 

Anvik, Cecilie Høj, & Waldahl, Ragnhild Holmen. (2017). Excluded youth in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway. Nordisk välfärdsforskning| Nordic Welfare Research, 2(1), 17-29. doi:https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2464-4161-2017-01-03

The function of the services within education, employment, education and health that are supposed to support excluded, young people who are in neither education nor employment.

Excluded, young people who are in neither education nor employment.

Island, Føroyar, Nord- Norge. 

E. Data (a.), specific measures (b.), and methods (c.), please also specify whether the study deploys cross-country data (d.)
a) Qualitative interviews with 58 practitioners within the relevant welfare authorities and services in the three countries.

b) The data was analysed through interpretative text analysis within the genre of thematic content analysis.

c) Qualitative methods as described in a).

d) Cross-country data from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and North-Norway. 

There is a lack of overall organization of, and cooperation between, the services that hold the obligations to support the excluded youth. Instead, the services exist in specialized silo organizations which limit their ability to attend to the complexity of problems characterizing this group. The authorities of the three countries only to a limited extent coordinate their policies and services to this group of young people. On the other, an individual collaboration that occurs locally was identified. These local collaborations are commonly founded on individuals – enthusiasts – who go above and beyond their mandates in order to help the target group. 

G. Brief description of the specific barrier(s) the target group faces as identified in this study
Barrier 1. Specialized silo organizations of services. 

Barrier 2. Lack of cooperation between services. 

High – It is qualitative research with extensive sample (58) of practitioners within the relevant welfare authorities and services in the three countries. Also, the research article is peer-reviewed. 

I. Other comments:
The findings of the study show that the authorities of the three countries only to a limited extent coordinate their policies and services to this group of young people. Those who are capable of attending to the complex needs of the youth are, rather, individual actors, so-called enthusiasts, working closely around the youth and in extensive collaboration with other services. 

Einarsdóttir, Margrét, & Gísladóttir, Kristín Heba. (2021). Staða fatlaðs fólks á Íslandi: Niðurstöður spurningakönnunar Vörðu fyrir Öryrkjabandalag Íslands [The situation of disabled people in Iceland in 2021]. Reykjavík: Varða, Rannsóknastofnun vinnumarkaðarins. 

The situation of disabled people in Iceland in 2021 with regard to finances, health and employment. 

Disabled people within the Icelandic Disability Alliance (ÖBÍ) 

Iceland.

E. Data (a.), specific measures (b.), and methods (c.), please also specify whether the study deploys cross-country data (d.)
a) A Survey where all members of ÖBÍ were able to participate, and the data weighed in accordance to demographic measurements in the populations.

b) Barriers to employment.

c) Descriptive analysis + Chi square tests.

d) No cross-country data. 

The respondents were asked to identify the main reasons for not being in employment, and priorities them (the most important, second most important etc.). They could choose between seven reasons. In total, 70.9% identified health as the most important reason, 19.2% that it wouldn´t pay off because of reduced disability benefits, and 15.0% that they feared such reduction or other demands from the authorities.

Barrier 1 – related to the individual. Lack of Health.

Barrier 2. Reduced disability benefits.

Barrier 3. Fear of reduced disability and other kinds of demands from the authorities.

Low – The sample was not randomly selected, and the results were not peer-reviewed. 

I. Other comments: 

Júlíusdóttir, Ólöf, Arnalds, Ásdís Aðalbjörg, Tryggvadóttir, Guðný Bergþóra, Gunnarsdóttir, Hrafnhildur Snæfríðar-og, Jónsson, Ari Klængur, & Hardonk, Stefan Celine. (2022). Atvinnumál fatlaðs fólks: Tækifæri til atvinnuþátttöku án aðgreiningar. 

B. Main topic covered by this specific study and how it relates to the barriers identified 

The study is presented in a report published by the Research Institute of Social Science, University of Iceland. Its main topic is to shed a light on the status of employment among disabled people in Iceland, as well as to seek answers to how both authorities and employers can support the right of disabled people to employment without segregation. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied. The qualitative part of the study sheds some light on the barriers that ableism puts on labour market participation of disabled people. 

C. Target group(s), information on how the target group is identified 

Disabled people who use the service of the municipalities in Iceland on the grounds of the Acts on the service towards disabled people in need of long-term service (no. 38/2018).

Iceland. 

E. Data (a.), specific measures (b.), and methods (c.), please also specify whether the study deploys cross-country data (d.)
a) Seven semi structured individual interviews with professionals were conducted, three focus groups of total 24 disabled people, and two individual interviews with disabled people.

b) Thematic analysis.

c) Qualitative methods.

d) No cross-country data. 

The quantitative part of the study shows that only a quarter of disabled people in Iceland is in employment, and only a part of that group is on the open labour market. The qualitative part then shows that various system related barriers that relate to the dominant ableism hinders some or full labour market participation of the group. 

Barrier 1. Disabled people fear that they will not live up to expectations and demands of the workplace  (internalized ableism).

Barrier 2. Lack of knowledge and resources among managers and employers (external ableism). 

Barrier 3. Lack of a standardised tool that supports organisations who employ disabled people.

Barrier 4. Lack of cooperation between segregated workplaces (for disabled people] and workplaces on the open labour market. There is a need of cooperation between the professional at the segregated workplaces and HR staffs at common workplaces to facilitate the transition from the former type of workplace to the latter. 

Barrier 5. System of disability benefits hinders disabled people from trying whether a job suits them or not, as to accept a job means that one loses the right of a disability benefit and must start the application process again when and if the job terminates. 

Low – It is qualitative research with limited sample which lowers its quality. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. Also, the results were not peer-reviewed. 

Júlíusdóttir, Ólöf, Arnalds, Ásdís Aðalbjörg, Tryggvadóttir, Guðný Bergþóra, Gunnarsdóttir, Hrafnhildur Snæfríðar-og, Jónsson, Ari Klængur, & Hardonk, Stefan Celine. (2022). Atvinnumál fatlaðs fólks: Tækifæri til atvinnuþátttöku án aðgreiningar. 

The study is presented in a report published by the Research Institute of Social Science, University of Iceland. Its main topic is to shed a light on the status of employment among disabled people in Iceland, as well as to seek answers to how both authorities and employers can support the right of disabled people to employment without segregation. 

Managers at Icelandic organisations who hires employees.

Iceland. 

E. Data (a.), specific measures (b.), and methods (c.), please also specify whether the study deploys cross-country data (d.)
a) A survey – A sample of organisations with more than five employees. The response rate was 35%.

b) (HR) managers were handled CVs of individuals with the same qualifications but different level of. They were then asked to assess how likely or unlikely it would be that they would hire each person for a certain job.

c) Experimental design.

d) No cross-country data. 

Ableism that hinders managers to assess fairly the qualifications of people with some immobility.

G. Brief description of the specific barrier(s) the target group faces as identified in this study
Barrier 1. Applicant with no immobility was more likely to be hired that applicants with identical qualifications but some immobility. 

Medium. 

Hardonk, Stefan, & Ingvarsdóttir, Árdís Kristín. (2020). Muligheter for arbeidsinkludering: perspectiver fra Island. In Hege Gjertsen, Line Melbøe, & Hans A. Hauge (Eds.), Arbeidsinkludering for personer med utviklingshemming (pp. 77-90). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. 

How the construct of the “ideal worker” and the ableism that lies behind it hinders the inclusion of people with intellectual disability into the labour market. 

People with intellectual disability collected through organisations for/of people with intellectual disability who had experience of working on the open labour market (although three worked in a segregated workplace at the time of the interview). 

Iceland.

a) 14 semi structured individual interviews with people with intellectual disabilities

b) Analysis based on grounded theory.

c) Qualitative methods, as described in a)

d) Not cross-country data. 

The study shows that the construction of “ideal worker”, and the stereotypical norms that it produces hinders the acceptance of people with intellectual disability as competent workers (external ableism), but also that people with intellectual disability suppresses their expectations for proceeding at the workplace and for a fair pay, as they realise that they are not thought of as competent workers (internal ableism).

Barrier 1. External ableism - The construction of the “ideal worker”, and the stereotypical norms that it produces hinders the acceptance of people with intellectual disability as competent workers.

Barrier 2. Internal ableism - people with intellectual disability suppresses their expectations for proceeding at the workplace and for a fair pay.

Medium – It is qualitative research with limited sample of people with intellectual disability which lowers its quality. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. On the other hand, the analysis is well grounded theoretically, and the research article was published in a peer-reviewed, edited book. 

I. Other comments: 

A. Specific reference: (author(s), year, title, source, pages)
Hardonk, Stefan Celine, & Halldórsdóttir, Sandra. (2021). Work inclusion through supported employment? Perspectives of job counsellors in iceland. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 23(1), 39-49. doi:https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.767 

The study looks at how job counsellors at The Directorate of Labour in Iceland view their support to people with disability, and whether their practice empower disabled clients or reproduce their marginalisation. By doing so the study identifies some labour market barriers. 

Disabled people who need counsellor service at the Directorate of Labour in Iceland. 

D. Location of the study: Country, region, city  

Iceland.

a) Semi structured individual interviews with counsellors at the directorate of Labour in Iceland who service people with intellectual disabilities. All the counsellors who do so were interviewed.

b) Analysis based on grounded theory.

c) Qualitative methods, as described in a)

d) Not cross-country data.

In the study a distinction is made between an integration into the labour market and an inclusion into it. While integration only involves whether one is placed inside the labour market or not inclusion involves “opportunities for belonging and being a valued worker in clients’ experiences of work”.  The results show that the counsellors’ day-to-day approach to client-centred support, relations with employers, and follow-up support reflected an integration rather than inclusion. Thus, they focused on their role as ‘match makers’, where they negotiated stereotypical norms with the preferences and competences of the clients. They focus was on obtaining a job in which the client would not be “a burden” to the employer rather than on obtaining a good job and a job carrier in accordance with the preference of the client. 

Barrier 1. The role of job counsellors as “match-makers” – as such they attempt to place people with intellectual disability in employment without doubting the profit-based premises of employers, rather than obtaining a good job and a job carrier in accordance with the preference of the client (external ableism). 

High – Although the study is qualitative it includes all jobs counsellors at the Directorate of Labour in Iceland who service people with intellectual disability. Also, the research article was published in a peer-reviewed, edited journal. 

I. Other comments: 

Gísladóttir, Hulda Þórey, Snorradóttir, Ásta, & Fenger, Kristjana. (2020). Atvinnuþátttaka fólks með skerta starfsgetu: Sjónarhorn stjórnenda á vinnumarkaði . Iðjuþjálfinn(1), 16-23. 

The purpose of this study is to shed light on factors that influence managers’ perspective towards employing individuals with reduced work capacity, both the incentives and obstacles that managers face when hiring and keeping such individuals. 

Managers in Icelandic organisations. 

Iceland. 

a) 14 semi structured individual interviews with managers in Icelandic organisations, selected by purposive sampling.

b) Analysis based on grounded theory

c) Qualitative methods, as described in a).

d) Not cross-country data. 

All the barriers are in some way related to the demand of profit and low operating cost.

Barrier 1. Demand for profit and/or low operating costs of the organisation.

Barrier 2. Increased pressure on co-workers because of the reduced work capacity.

Barrier 3. Specific and strict rules at the workplace that only allow to hire a worker in reduced work for a limited period.

Medium – It is qualitative research with limited sample of managers which lowers its quality. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. On the other hand, the research article was published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Stangej, Olga, Minelgaite, Inga, Kristinsson, Kari, & Sigurdardottir, Margret Sigrun. (2019). Post-migration labor market: prejudice and the role of host country education. Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 7(1), 42-55. doi:10.1108/EBHRM-03-2018-0019 

An audit discrimination study examined whether education received in the host country can serve as a signal of social integration for immigrant workers in employment settings. The findings indicate that signals of social integration, such as qualifications acquired in the host country through education, counter prejudice against Polish immigrants in Iceland. In other words, the study shows that lack of qualifications acquired in host country can be a barrier to labour market participation among Polish immigrants in Iceland. 

Polish immigrants in Iceland. 

Iceland. 

a) Survey, random sample (N = 106) from Register Iceland.
b) Audit discrimination study - The participants read a job advertisement and evaluated a single CV on several measures. The CV contained basic information on name, age, education, contact information, job experience and hobbies. Each CV was identical except for the experimentally manipulated variables (name (Polish/Icelandic) and education (Polish/Icelandic)).

c) Significant difference measured by t-tests.

d) No cross-country data. 

Lack of qualifications acquired in the host country through education.

Barrier 1. Lack of qualifications acquired in the host country through education.

Medium – although the methods were qualitative and the sample collected randomly, the sample was small and the measurements indirect. 

I. Other comments: 

Loftsdóttir, Kristín, Sigurðardóttir, Margrét Sigrún, & Kristinsson, Kári. (2016). „Hún gæti alveg verið múslimi og allt það”: Ráðning fólks af erlendum uppruna til íslenskra fyrirtækja. Icelandic Review on Politics & Administration, 12(2), 393-416. doi: https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2016.12.2.10

The attitudes of HR managers towards foreign applicants as it surfaces in the recruitment processes, but such attitudes could hinder the hiring of foreign employees.

Immigrants. 

Iceland. 

E. Data (a.), specific measures (b.), and methods (c.), please also specify whether the study deploys cross-country data (d.)
a-b) “think aloud” interviews with seven HR-managers in the service sector in Iceland. In the interviews the HR manager discussed the possibility of hiring a bookkeeper and assessed six identical applicants regarding experience and education but with different ethnical background. Randomised method was used to select the interviewees.

c) Analysis was based on grounded theory.

d) No cross-country data. 

The findings show that the applicant’s experience makes a difference when the experience has been gained in Iceland, while being much less important if gained somewhere else. As such, not having work experience gained in Iceland is a barrier to being hired. 

Barrier 1. Lack of domestic work experience. 

Barrier 2. Prejudice towards Muslims. 

Medium – the methods was thoroughly designed, however its qualitative nature means that limited generalization can be drawn from it. On the other hand, the article was peer-reviewed. 

Kristjánsson, Kári, & Sigurðardóttir, Margrét Sigrún. (2019). Ráðum við frekar Guðmund og Önnu heldur en Muhammed og Aishu? Áhrif múslímsks nafns í ferilskrám [Do we rather hire Guðmundur and Anna than Muhammed and Aisha? The affect of a muslimic name on a CV. Íslenska þjóðfélagið, 10(2), 97-111. 

Prejudice against Muslim immigrants in Iceland, and how it is reflected in the people´s willingness to hire and pay a person with Muslim name compared to a person with Icelandic name. 

Muslim immigrants.

Iceland.

a) Survey, random sample (N = 305) from Register Iceland.

b) A short job description, and two identical CVs, one with Icelandic but the other with Muslim name on it, questions on the willingness of giving each person an job interview and one the amount of salary.

c) Significant difference measured by t-tests.

d) No cross-country data. 

Prejudice towards people with Muslim name which lowers the willingness to hire such person, as well as to pay (s)he fairly, and especially towards female Muslim names. 

Barrier 1. Prejudice towards people with Muslim name.

Barrier 2. Prejudice towards females with Muslim name (more so than towards males with Muslim name). 

Medium – although the methods were qualitative and the sample collected randomly, the sample was small and the measurements indirect. 

I. Other comments: 

Kristjánsdóttir, Erla Sólveig, & Christiansen, Þóra H. (2019). “Hana langar ekki að missa mig” : Upplifun háskólamenntaðra innflytjenda frá Filippseyjum á samskiptum og aðlögun að íslenskum vinnumarkaði [“She doesn’t want to lose me” : Lived experience of immigrants with university degree from the Philippines on communication and integration to the Icelandic labor market]. Íslenska þjóðfélagið, 10(2), 48-62. 

To develop an understanding of the lived experience of communication at work, their opportunities to contribute in the workplace, and how they are adapting to the workplace among highly skilled Philippine immigrants in Iceland. By doing so a light was shed on what hinders their participation and proceedings on the labour market. 

Highly skilled Philippine immigrants.

Iceland. 

a) 12 in-depth interviews with Philippine immigrants with university degree selected by a snowball sample.

b) Not relevant.

c) Qualitative methods, analysis based on phenomenology.

d) No cross-country data. 

Prejudice and language and cultural differences hinders communication at work and adaption to the workplace, and as such the promotion of highly skilled immigrants with Asian background. 

G. Brief description of the specific barrier(s) the target group faces as identified in this study
Barrier 1. Lack of skill in the Icelandic language (is a barrier to promotion).

Barrier 2. Prejudice and misunderstanding due to cultural differences barriers promotion. 

H. Quality of the study: High, medium, low + comments
Medium – It is qualitative research with limited sample of Philippine immigrants. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. On the other hand, the research article was published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

I. Other comments: 

Christiansen, Þóra H., & Kristjánsdóttir, Erla Sólveig. (2016). “Veggurinn er alltaf til staðar”: Upplifun háskólamenntaðra innflytjenda af samskiptum og samningsstöðu gagnvart vinnuveitendum. [“The wall is always going to be there”: Lived experience of immigrants with university degree of communication and negotiation position toward their employers]. Íslenska þjóðfélagið, 7(1), 5-22. 

The focus is on the lived experience of immigrants from various parts of Europe and with a university degree working in the Icelandic labour market, focusing on their communication and negotiation position vis-à-vis their employer. As such, the study sheds a light on the obstacles to employment promotion of high-skilled, European immigrants in Iceland.

Highly skilled European immigrants.

Iceland. 

a) 12 in-depth interviews with European immigrants with university degree selected by a snowball sample. In interviewees originated from the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, the UK, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and the Czech Republic.

b) Not relevant.

c) Qualitative methods, analysis based on phenomenology.

d) No cross-country data. 

The study sheds a light on the obstacles to employment promotion of high-skilled, European immigrants in Iceland.

Barrier 1. Lack of skill in the Icelandic language (is a barrier to their promotion).

Barrier 2. Belittling of contribution, knowledge, experience, and education. 

Medium – It is qualitative research with limited sample of European immigrants. Also, limited generalization can be drawn from such research. On the other hand, the research article was published in a peer-reviewed journal.