Between unemployment and migration: institutionalised female labour migration from socialist Yugoslavia, 1963–1973

This article explores institutionalised labour migration from socialist Yugoslavia to Western capitalist countries, focusing on the recruitment of female labour migrants. By examining Yugoslav archival sources, it investigates the mechanisms of migration control and management developed by the Yugoslav government to discharge labour surplus to the West in accordance with state interests. The article highlights the alignment of women’s unemployment and increased social mobility with these processes; further, it demonstrates that from the onset of Yugoslavia’s liberalised labour migration policy, women were integral to the state’s efforts to employ labour surplus in Western labour markets and shape labour migrants’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Thus, the article expands the understanding of Yugoslav labour migration and governmental and institutional efforts to control and shape international migrations and underscores the value of archived sources in providing a comprehensive understanding of the state’s role in labour migrations.