Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP8212
Authors: Alberto Bisin; Eleonora Patacchini; Thierry Verdier; Yves Zenou
Abstract: Using data from the European Social Survey on most European countries, we look at the relationship between ethnic identity and employment prospects for immigrants from non-European countries. We find that a strong attachment to religion is associated with a lower probability of being employed. When we differentiate between first and second generations of immigrants, our evidence reveals signs of a cultural and economic integration of immigrants in Europe. However, when an extreme ethnic sentiment is preserved, the employment penalty is amplified. Our results also suggest that the strength of a person?s ethnic identity and its relationship with employment prospects may depend on the type of integration policy performed in the country where the immigrant lives. In particular, labor-market policies and family-reunion policies seem to facilitate the labor-market access to immigrants coming from non-European countries.
Keywords: ethnic identity; first and second-generation immigrants; integration policies; religion
JEL Codes: A14; J15; J18; Z19
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| strong attachment to religion (Z12) | lower probability of employment (J68) |
| strong attachment to religion (Z12) | employment penalty for first-generation immigrants (K37) |
| strong attachment to religion (Z12) | employment penalty for second-generation immigrants (K37) |
| integration policies (F55) | mitigate employment penalty associated with strong ethnic identity (J15) |
| strong ethnic identity (Z13) | adverse employment outcomes (J79) |