Denmark’s invisible barriers for Emese

In this issue, Aamna Tauheed investigates the growing gap between Denmark’s reliance on international labour and the realities faced by international job seekers.

Photographs: Emese Helmeczi

Text: Aamna Tauheed

The 2025 immigration report, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, states that in 2024, Denmark received 54,000 international migrants on a long-term or permanent basis. This is a significant number compared with previous years for Denmark. The report also notes that, despite living in better conditions than before, international workers' wages remain lower than those of native Danes, but their unemployment rate is higher.

Several news reports indicate that 2025 was a challenging year for internationals in Denmark due to the Immigration Ministry's tight-fisted approach. According to new data from Statistics Denmark, the unemployment rate for internationals in Denmark is much higher than that for natives. By combining and analysing data on the unemployed and working populations (18-64 years old), the results revealed that the ratio of unemployed internationals is three times higher than that of unemployed native Danes.

Denmark through the lens of #TheForgottenGold

As a voice for internationals, The International Denmark highlights and addresses the challenges faced by the international community living in Denmark through its #TheForgottenGold Movement, which has now become much more than a hashtag. As the purpose of this movement is to make qualified international professionals visible in the Danish job market, this month we feature Emese Helmeczi. Emese arrived in Denmark from Budapest, Hungary, in 2024 with her husband and two sons, with long-term plans and a sense of hope and belonging.

“It wasn’t an abrupt move or a hasty decision to shift to Denmark from Hungary. I like the Danish culture and values. I always get inspired by the “hygge” (cosiness) culture whenever I visit my sister-in-law in Denmark. I am a Human Resources (HR) expert with 8 years of experience, and my husband is a senior IT Project Manager. Sharing about me, I thought I would immediately get a job, but I got so many surprises during my one-year job-seeking journey in Denmark”, says Emese with a wide smile.

Her story is the story of a system that unintentionally keeps international talent standing on their toes in the Danish job market, despite its reputation as a promoter of inclusivity and cultural diversity.

A planned move and a deliberate choice

“Denmark always stands for the right values, and these are the ones we wanted to live by,” explains Emese, when I inquired more deeply about her reasons for relocation. She also shared insights and observations on the Danish welfare system, security, work-life balance, and, above all, trust between people and social cohesion. Denmark is not a stranger to her and her family because they have relatives living here. All these factors have led to Emese's move from Budapest to Denmark.

A constant struggle with professional identity

Emese has a master’s degree in business English and 8 years of professional experience in Human Resource management and operations. She is also a skilled digital marketer and has extensive experience as a team leader and line manager. She came to Denmark with the clarity of her skills and the belief that the new country would open doors to professional growth and integration. What she did not anticipate was the constant battle with invisibility in the challenging job market, especially for foreigners.

“It's been more than a year since I have been putting my energy into getting a job, but I still feel distant and excluded from the Danish job market. Most people said it is not due to a lack of competence. However, because the system is still struggling to translate international experience into local opportunities, Emese said, she shared her efforts to find a job in the tricky Danish job market.

“Despite knowing your value, this lack of closure can create feelings of self-doubt or incompetence.”

The Danish job market: An enigma for internationals

Emese knew from the outset that understanding employment laws, labour regulations, and workplace culture would be essential, which is why she decided to localise her knowledge. She learned the Danish language and enrolled in Danish HR- related courses with a strong focus on corporate laws. That course helped her secure an internship in Denmark, which she thinks is a first step toward understanding the local workplaces and company environments. In parallel, she applied for HR roles in several companies aligned with her background.

“For me, the internship was the key and a doorway to enter into a Danish company,” she said. “I believed that if companies could meet me face to face and see how I work, that would have an influence. In addition, I sent almost 100 job applications to various companies. I had a couple of interviews, but they were screening interviews, and nothing progressed beyond that stage.” Sharing her experience getting feedback on applications, she immediately responded: "Initially, I never received feedback even after asking for it several times, but whenever it came, I ended up with more questions. The job market is so unpredictable, especially for internationals like us. Sometimes I receive an answer that I am too senior for this role, and in other cases, recruiters tell me the role has shifted focus during the hiring process. I don’t know if it is a bias or an uncertainty in the job market”, said Emese with a confused smile.

Many international professionals share Emese's view, calling the Danish job a tricky one and a difficult path. In their stories, the previous #ForgottenGold participants also described similar experiences of ghosting, a lack of feedback, and automated rejections from companies in the Danish labour market. Despite a 12-13% international workforce, many internationals are struggling in the Danish job market, calling it an enigma or a jigsaw puzzle.

Is networking the Key-A myth or reality?

“Networking is a chance, but without a guarantee of translating into an opportunity”, said Emese when I asked about attending the networking events in Denmark, which most people considered a key to access in the Danish job market.

Emese shared that she was initially told networking events and job fairs could help her connect with companies. She attended many professional events with clear expectations for meeting with companies interested in hiring. What she found after having that experience was different. In her words:

“ I expected companies to offer work or at least to screen the candidates at the job fairs and later invite them for interviews. I observe that in these events, companies focus more on visibility, personal branding, and social media engagement than on recruitment. Most of them required paid participation, and investing continuously doesn’t make any sense, especially if someone doesn’t see a real pathway to employment. I am not against the events, but in my opinion, they are only helpful in the initial days in Denmark.”

The emotional cost of the job-seeking journey

“Finding a job in the challenging Danish Job market as an international is a lonely activity. There are numerous job centres in the country, but they have limitations in helping job seekers. Focusing specifically on recruiters, in my personal experience, they are very engaging and polite during initial conversations and encourage people to apply, rarely offering any meaningful feedback during follow-up calls or after the application. Frequent ghosting or silent treatment from companies does affect job seekers like me emotionally. Despite knowing your value, this lack of closure can create feelings of self-doubt or incompetence”.

Holding on to trust and motivation

Despite challenges and constant setbacks, Emese remains resilient and motivated, and doesn’t want to give up as a job seeker in Denmark. She is clear that she wants to add value in the Danish job market via her professional competencies. She still holds to that trust which brought her to Denmark with her family. Her journey represents that of many skilled internationals who choose to live and contribute to Denmark rather than other countries. Emese`s story is the essence of #TheForgottenGold- the movement about people who do not lack value but whose worth and skills are yet to be recognised.