Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest daily, missed another opportunity to expose the elephant in the room about why so few Ukrainian nurses and medics are hired in the face of a chronic labor shortage in the health sector.
True, the daily does address issues like language as a factor. But isn’t this a common excuse in the labor market to not hire non-Finns? Another factor cited by the paper is the bureaucracy (Valvira, the national supervisory authority for welfare and health) and rules, which make hiring healthcare professionals challenging.
Numerous studies on Finland’s and EU’s labor markets conclude they are racialized and segregated. So many toxic matters that impact migrant employment spring from structural racism. Why are we treating such a social ill with kid gloves?
Olga Silfver of the Ukrainian association of Finland sheds light on the country’s racialized and segregated markets, which also apply to white and Christian Ukrainians.
Helsingin Sanomat reports: “According to Silfver, sectors in which Ukrainians are most employed include agriculture and berry picking, construction, cleaning, beauty, and catering. He said many refugees were well motivated to work.”
Let’s hope that Finland’s largest daily can do a little more digging into its stories about our segregated labor markets and why so little continues to be done to challenge institutional racism and discrimination.
While there are valid reasons, like language mentioned in the story, our attitude toward outsiders is the real elephant in the room.
Why hasn’t Finland done enough to expose it?