Precarious work in the integration of foreigners into the labour market: the precarity as a result of structural restrictions

By Indre HUSEYNOVA

Abstract
In the global context, the debate on insecurity in the labor market remains fierce. In principle, insecure work has several identical meanings. In the literature, concepts such as precarious or precarious work, insecure employment, or “poor” work are often found. One of the most vulnerable groups in terms of precarious work is migrants. Individuals transfer their work experience and knowledge to the destination country to which they immigrate, but challenges arise as if unforeseen. Language barriers, issues concerning wages, social guarantees, and job volatility are part of the daily routine of immigrants, and insecurity itself is understood as “uncertainty and instability.” This article enters a discussion about the structural restrictions that lead to the formation of precariat itself. The duality of the labour market, which was created by structural changes or pieces of legislation, demonstrates that being a migrant itself brings instability in different dimensions. The article analyses aspects of precarious work in integrating foreigners into the labour market of Lithuania. The first part provides a theoretical justification for this precarious work, followed by an overview of the theoretical aspects of the integration of foreigners. When analysing legal and statistical data, Lithuania’s labor market realities and immigrant trends are described. According to the structuring theory, the importance of legal status in the integration process is reviewed. The results of the empirical study are revealed in the last part of the article by formulating the conclusions.
Keywords: insecure work, precarious work, integration of foreigners, labour market.