Foreign students want to stay but report difficulty finding work

New study shows that three quarters of international graduates are interested in staying in Denmark — if they can find a job

Foreign students are by and large interested in remaining in Denmark after completing their education, but many of them feel that Danish employers arenÂ’t interested in hiring them.

A new study conducted by Momentum – the newsletter of the association of local councils, Kommunernes Landsforeging – and the career centre at CBS surveyed 334 students from 52 different countries.

A whopping 77 percent said they could imagine staying in Denmark after their studies. But that, of course, would require finding a job, and the respondents weren’t very optimistic about their chances. Some 37 percent said that Danish businesses were uninterested in hiring qualified foreign workers, while 40 percent believed the opposite.

Despite the number of foreign students in Denmark skyrocketing in recent years, the difficulty of finding work often results in the students leaving the country.  

According to figures from the Agency for Universities and Internalisation (Styrelsen for International Uddannelse), the number of foreign students rose from just 793 in 2000 to 3,028 in 2009. A total of 17,306 international students were educated in Denmark between 2001 and 2009. Of those, just half remained in Denmark after their education, and of those that choose to stay, 74 percent have jobs.

The ability to find meaningful work is key to getting the students to stay, said Finn Kjerulff Hansen, a career councillor at CBS.

“If the students don’t find a job within six months, most of them go back home,” Hansen told Momentum. “Not least of all because Copenhagen is a very expensive place to live if you don’t have a job. The job market needs to be much more open to international students.”

The students in the study pointed to that fact, saying that it is very rare to find job openings posted in English. Some 59 percent said that they “rarely” or “almost never” saw job postings in English. Not surprisingly then, 78 percent of the respondents agreed that learning Danish was necessary in order to find work in Denmark.

The studentsÂ’ perception that finding work in Denmark is difficult was greeted with concern by Dansk Industri.

“It’s unfortunate that the foreign students have that impression,” DI’s research director Charlotte Rønhof told Momentum. “Not only does that weaken Danish companies’ opportunities to attract the most talented candidates, it is also factually incorrect. Danish companies to a great extent hire foreign specialists and will need them more and more moving forward.”

The large number of students that expressed their interest in staying in Denmark pointed first and foremost to CopenhagenÂ’s appeal. Over three quarters of the respondents specifically mentioned Copenhagen as one of the main appeals for staying in the country. The second most-popular reason was that students felt there was a better life-work balance in Denmark than in their home countries. While 70 percent of the respondents said they were not bothered by the countryÂ’s high level of taxes.
 




  • Danish universities increase security checks on researchers from China, Russia, and Iran, reports DR

    Danish universities increase security checks on researchers from China, Russia, and Iran, reports DR

    Danish universities, especially Aarhus University, now rigorously screen researchers from China, Russia, and Iran to prevent espionage, following recommendations and increasing concerns about security, reports DR

  • Danish Originals S7E5: Camilla Stærk

    Danish Originals S7E5: Camilla Stærk

    This week, Bonderup-born, London-trained, New York-based Danish designer Camilla Stærk talks about her work, anchored against a strong foundation of her Danish heritage combined with her fascination with Old Hollywood and film noir, and expressed in what she describes as the whole universe: of fashion, furniture, lighting, rugs, accessories

  • Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    In recent years, the spread of cocaine has accelerated. The drug is easily accessible and not only reserved for wealthy party heads. Copenhagen Police have just arrested ten young people and charged them with reselling cocaine

  • 5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    Here are five mistakes I made that helped me understand that belonging isn’t a strategy—it’s a practice. This isn’t a story of struggle—it’s a reflection on growth, told through the lens of emotional intelligence.

  • Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Earlier this year, the Danish government changed the law on access for people from third world countries to the Danish labor market. Yet, there may still be a shortcut that goes through universities

  • Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Queen Company, a Denmark-origin flower producer with pristine sustainability credentials, is under fire for alleged labor rights violations at its Turkish operation, located in Dikili, İzmir. Workers in the large greenhouse facility have been calling decent work conditions for weeks. The Copenhagen Post gathered testimonies from the workers to better understand the situation

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system