International migrants often occupy subordinate positions in the labour market or are excluded from it. Based on unique longitudinal data, this article investigates the socioeconomic mobility of the foreign-born adult population in two Swedish cities in the period 1993—2002. Patterns of entrance, exit and exclusion pertaining to the labour of foreign-born and native-born populations are compared, focusing on variations between ‘distressed’ neighbourhoods and surrounding city-regions. The results reveal that the foreign-born population experiences a high labour turnover, generally with increasing employment stability, but that considerable vulnerability still remains. However, surprisingly small differences were found between residents of ‘distressed’ and other neighbourhoods. Hence, ethnic rather than residential status influenced the employment situation of foreign-born adults in Swedish cities.
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