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Matching Language Proficiency to Occupation: The Effect on Immigrants' Earnings

Author

Listed:
  • Chiswick, Barry R.

    (Stockholm University Linnaeus Center for Integration Studies - SULCIS)

  • Miller, Paul W.

    (School of Economics and Finance)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effect on earnings of the matching of English language skills to occupational requirements or occupational norms for adult male immigrants. It uses data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database and a “Realized Matches” procedure to quantify expected levels of English skills in each of over 500 occupations in the US Census. Earnings data from the 2000 US Census for foreign-born adult male workers are then examined in relation to these occupational English requirements or norms using the Over/Required/Under (or ORU) technique developed for the study of schooling. The analyses show that earnings are related to a “correct” matching of an individual’s language skills with what is expected in his occupation. Mismatches have a small effect on earnings – positive for extra proficiency and negative for deficits in proficiency, relative to the norm in the occupation. The findings are robust with respect to a range of measurement and specification issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiswick, Barry R. & Miller, Paul W., 2011. "Matching Language Proficiency to Occupation: The Effect on Immigrants' Earnings," SULCIS Working Papers 2011:4, Stockholm University, Linnaeus Center for Integration Studies - SULCIS.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:sulcis:2011_004
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    Cited by:

    1. Núria Quella & Silvio Rendon, 2012. "Occupational selection in multilingual labor markets: the case of Catalonia," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 33(8), pages 918-937, November.
    2. Fortin, Nicole & Lemieux, Thomas & Torres, Javier, 2016. "Foreign human capital and the earnings gap between immigrants and Canadian-born workers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 104-119.
    3. Saïd Aboubacar & Nong Zhu, 2014. "Episodes of Non-employment among Immigrants to Canada from Developing Countries," CIRANO Working Papers 2014s-14, CIRANO.
    4. Chiswick, Barry R. & Taengnoi, Sarinda, 2007. "Occupational Choice of High Skilled Immigrants in the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 2969, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    English Language; Occupation; Earnings; Immigrants; Schooling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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