International student’s employment in South Karelia

Every year hundreds of students from different backgrounds come from abroad to study in the South Karelia region. The author noticed the issue of the employment of international students in South Karelia by discussing with fellow students about the topic while studying International Business. The main goal of this thesis was to identify and understand the reasons why it is difficult for international students to find a job in South Karelia. By researching this topic, the author wanted to find new ideas to improve the problem. The study was focusing on students who study International Business degree at LAB University of Applied Sciences. A qualitative research study where a structured survey was conducted with students. A total of 20 answers were collected from Finnish and foreign students. For this thesis research methods used were student interviews through an online survey and literature review. This study showed that Finnish, and foreign students face problems in finding a job. But for international students finding a job is more difficult in South Karelia because they do not speak professional Finnish and because of the lack of opportunities. Another issue for unemployment is the financial problems that companies have been currently suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic