Anna Angelin

This comparative study delves into the intricate challenges surrounding stigma within active labor market programs (ALMPs) and its implications for work, wellbeing, and social policy. In both Sweden and Australia, employers exhibit reluctance to draw from this candidate pool for recruitment. Understanding employers' reasons for not utilising ALMP candidates, their expectations from candidates, and their perceptions of the value of ALMPs and support provided to unemployed workers is crucial. Drawing on Imogen Tyler’s concept of stigma as power, qualitative interviews with employers in Sweden and Australia explore how stigma against the unemployed is reproduced. Despite its detrimental effects, stigma persists due to its entrenchment within social policy frameworks and the reinforcement of negative stereotypes by employers. Our findings suggest employers attitude towards ALMPs originate from the broader neoliberal discourse surrounding unemployment and welfare receipt. While Swedish employers show more empathy than Australian employers, the way stigma is used to deny job opportunities is the same. We see evidence of this in both Sweden and Australia, despite very different welfare systems. The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive interventions to address stigma within ALMPs. By unpacking stigma as a form of power, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of its role in shaping labor market dynamics and advocates for strategies that prioritise the wellbeing of unemployed workers.