Stereotype n° 14: Employment

Roma are often seen as work shy and as voluntarily living on welfare rather than looking for a job. This picture is far from the reality of most Roma. There would be no point in denying that there are some Roma who prefer to live on welfare just as much as this phenomenon can be found in other ethnic groups, included in the majority population. The crucial question, however, is not if Roma want to work but what kind of employment they can find, if any: Roma are virtually invisible in the service sector. There are almost no Roma taxi drivers, shop assistants, kitchen workers, waiters, or door men. It goes beyond the imagination of many to employ a Roma house cleaner, let alone a baby sitter.

If Roma find employment then it is usually in physically demanding, often dangerous, and badly paid jobs. In many cases the transport to and from work already consumes the biggest part of the salary. Roma are hired as garbage collectors, field hands, or as forestry labourers, thus in the least prestigious work places. Legal work is often denied, forcing Roma to work  in the black market. While unemployment rates are generally high in Eastern Europe, the rate of Roma unemployment (in some settlements as high as 100%) in no way compares to that of the majority population. Improving educational levels alone will not be enough for ensuring better employment of Roma. A change in attitude also has to take place on the side of the employers and of the National Employment Agencies. Nothing can change as long as common stereotypes about Roma are not being questioned. What speaks against hiring a Roma to do qualitative and responsible work? Many non Roma cannot support the idea of hiring (a qualified) Roma for superior positions. Employers are often unwilling to even hire Roma as contract workers and thus force them to work black.