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Genetic distance, immigrants’ identity, and labor market outcomes

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  • Asadul Islam
  • Paul Raschky

Abstract

Consistent estimates of the effect of immigrants’ identity on labor market outcomes is complicated by the endogenous relationship between performance on the labor market and attitudes towards ethnic identity. This paper uses measures of genetic distance between immigrants’ home and host countries as instruments for immigrants’ identity. We find some evidence for adverse effects of home country identity on male immigrants’ unemployment likelihood. Our results also suggest that a stronger host country identity only has a systematic effect on employment and job satisfaction. Overall, immigrants’ identity appears to play only a negligible role in immigrants’ labor market performance. Our analysis also shows the importance of accounting for endogeneity in the relationship between immigrants’ ethnic identity and labor market outcomes. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Asadul Islam & Paul Raschky, 2015. "Genetic distance, immigrants’ identity, and labor market outcomes," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 28(3), pages 845-868, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jopoec:v:28:y:2015:i:3:p:845-868
    DOI: 10.1007/s00148-015-0553-0
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    Cited by:

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    2. Alessio Buonomo & Stefania Capecchi & Francesca Di Iorio & Salvatore Strozza, 2022. "Economic outcomes and immigrants self-identification," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 76(2), pages 4-12, April-Jun.
    3. Christopher Prömel, 2022. "Belonging or Estrangement – The European Refugee Crisis and its Effects on Immigrant Identity," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1160, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Carillo, Maria Rosaria & Lombardo, Vincenzo & Venittelli, Tiziana, 2021. "Identity and Labor Market Outcomes of Immigrants," GLO Discussion Paper Series 749, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Monscheuer, Ole, 2023. "National identity and the integration of second-generation immigrants," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Stuart Campbell, 2019. "National identity among economic and non-economic immigrants," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 411-438, June.
    7. Randazzo, Teresa & Piracha, Matloob, 2024. "Ethnic identity and educational outcomes," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1387, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Prömel, Christopher, 2023. "Belonging or estrangement—The European Refugee Crisis and its effects on immigrant identity," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    9. Piracha, Matloob & Tani, Massimiliano & Cheng, Zhiming & Wang, Ben Zhe, 2021. "Ethnic identity and immigrants' labour market outcomes," GLO Discussion Paper Series 767, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    10. Prömel, Christopher, 2021. "Belonging or estrangement: The European refugee crisis and its effects on immigrant identity," Discussion Papers 2021/16, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    11. Kunz, Johannes S. & Zhu, Anna, 2023. "Welfare Reform and Migrant's Long-Term Labor Market Integration," IZA Discussion Papers 16285, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Matloob Piracha & Massimiliano Tani & Zhiming Cheng & Ben Zhe Wang, 2023. "Social assimilation and immigrants’ labour market outcomes," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(1), pages 37-67, January.
    13. Nianzhai Ma & Weizeng Sun & Zhen Wang, 2022. "Host Identity and Consumption Behavior: Evidence from Rural–Urban Migrants in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-25, September.
    14. Campbell, Stuart & Nuevo-Chiquero, Ana & Popli, Gurleen & Ratcliffe, Anita, 2019. "Parental Ethnic Identity and Child Development," IZA Discussion Papers 12104, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Manuel Denzer, 2019. "Estimating Causal Effects in Binary Response Models with Binary Endogenous Explanatory Variables - A Comparison of Possible Estimators," Working Papers 1916, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
    16. Stuart Campbell & Ana Nuevo‐Chiquero & Gurleen Popli & Anita Ratcliffe, 2020. "Parental Ethnic Identity and Child Test Scores," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(4), pages 851-881, December.
    17. Jolian McHardy & Anita Ratcliffe, 2017. "Identity conflict: A framework and empirical investigation," Working Papers 2017006, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    18. Riccardo Turati, 2021. "Do you want to migrate to the United States? Migration intentions and Cultural Traits in Latin America," Working Papers wpdea2101, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
    19. Raux, Morgan, 2023. "Cultural differences and immigrants’ wages," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    20. Morgan Raux, 2021. "Cultural differences and immigrants' wages," DEM Discussion Paper Series 21-02, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    21. Johannes Kunz & Anna Zhu, 2023. "Welfare Reform and Migrant’s Long-term Labor Market Integration," Papers 2023-05, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigrants’ identity; Labor market outcomes; Instrumental variables; F22; J15; J16; Z10;
    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
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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