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Ethnic identity, majority norms, and the native–immigrant employment gap

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  • Cédric Gorinas

Abstract

Earlier studies do not agree on whether ethnic identity, i.e., immigrants’ attachment to the home country and the host country, can explain lower employment outcomes among immigrants. This study investigates the relationship between employment and ethnic identity and complements the literature by capturing a novel dimension of ethnic identity: openness to majority norms. Reproducing measures from earlier studies, I find that immigrants’ employment outcomes do not systematically associate with their ethnic identity. However, immigrants who share social norms with the majority experience significantly better employment outcomes, particularly first-generation immigrant women. Furthermore, I show that interethnic differentials in majority norms could account for up to 20 % of the explained part of the employment gap between natives and first-generation immigrants. Those results shed more light on the interethnic employment gap and aspects of immigrants’ identity relevant to economic integration. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Cédric Gorinas, 2014. "Ethnic identity, majority norms, and the native–immigrant employment gap," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(1), pages 225-250, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:27:y:2014:i:1:p:225-250
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-012-0463-3
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethnic identity; Integration; Assimilation; Acculturation; Social norms; Employment gap; F22; J15; Z13;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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