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Why Immigrants Manage to Grab More SocialBenefits? Empirical Cross - Country Analysis

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  • Lubomira Anastassova
  • Teodora Paligorova

Abstract

Using data from the Luxembourg Income Study we analyze state welfare generosity to immigrants and natives in Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Germany and the USA. The distinction between EU and non-EU immigrants proves to be an interesting one. We find a substantial social income gap between non-EU immigrants and natives, while EU immigrants are quite similar to natives. The main reasons for the existence of this social income gap are family wage income, number of children and income earners in the family. While these characteristics explain almost fully the gap in the EU countries, they are of little help in others.

Suggested Citation

  • Lubomira Anastassova & Teodora Paligorova, 2005. "Why Immigrants Manage to Grab More SocialBenefits? Empirical Cross - Country Analysis," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp263, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    • Handle: RePEc:cer:papers:wp263
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Corrado Giulietti & Martin Guzi & Martin Kahanec & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2013. "Unemployment benefits and immigration: evidence from the EU," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 34(1), pages 24-38, March.
    2. Peter Huber & Doris A. Oberdabernig, 2016. "Decomposing Welfare Wedges: An Analysis of Welfare Dependence of Immigrants and Natives in Europe," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(1), pages 82-107, February.
    3. Zimmermann, Klaus F. & Kahanec, Martin & Giulietti, Corrado & Guzi, Martin & Barrett, Alan & Maitre, Bertrand, 2012. "Study on Active Inclusion of Migrants," IZA Research Reports 43, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; European Union; social income.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J6 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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