Immigrant women workers in the settlement sector: niche employment or occupational segmentation? A comparative study of Germany and Canada

Much of the research on the settlement sector in Germany and Canada focuses on the range and impact of settlement programs as well as funding to the sector. The settlement sector as a field of employment for immigrant women is an emerging area of research. The purpose of the paper is to analyze and compare the experiences of immigrant women working in the settlement sector in Germany and Canada. The central thesis of the research is that immigrant women working in this sector experience occupational segregation based on their gender, race and immigrant status. The research findings support this thesis, as the settlement sector reveals itself as a deeply segmented labour market, where language and cultural competencies may have facilitated racialized, immigrant women's employment, yet the roles they occupy are characterized by precarious working conditions with limited opportunities for professional growth.