Settlement and Employment experiences of South Sudanese people from refugee backgrounds in Melbourne, Australia

This article critically examines the settlement experiences of South
Sudanese people from refugee backgrounds living in Melbourne, Australia,
with a particular focus on unemployment and barriers to employment.
Drawing on extensive primary data collected through semi-structured
interviews with 20 South Sudanese Australians, the article demonstrates
how unemployment features centrally in participants’ narratives and
appreciation of their settlement in Australia. Participants relate
unemployment to issues such as social isolation, family breakdown, and
intergenerational conflict, and foreground discrimination as a key barrier to
employment. We reflect on these findings by discussing suggestions for
future policy and practice in the area of refugee settlement and
employment.