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Occupational Mobility of Immigrants in a Low Skilled Economy: The Spanish Case

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  • Simón, Hipólito

    (Universidad de Alicante)

  • Ramos, Raul

    (University of Barcelona)

  • Sanromá, Esteban

    (University of Barcelona)

Abstract

We analyze the occupational mobility of immigrants between their origin countries and Spain and its determinants. We use microdata from the Encuesta Nacional de Inmigrantes to compute an internationally harmonized occupational status index (ISEI) that permits to quantify and properly analyze this kind of mobility. The obtained evidence shows that, in general, immigrants experience a strong occupational downgrading in Spain when compared to their origin countries. This fact is due to the strong downgrading they experience when entering the Spanish labour market and their low improvement in the following years.

Suggested Citation

  • Simón, Hipólito & Ramos, Raul & Sanromá, Esteban, 2011. "Occupational Mobility of Immigrants in a Low Skilled Economy: The Spanish Case," IZA Discussion Papers 5581, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5581
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Christian Dustmann & Yoram Weiss, 2007. "Return Migration: Theory and Empirical Evidence from the UK," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 236-256, June.
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    11. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & de la Rica, Sara, 2011. "Complements or substitutes? Task specialization by gender and nativity in Spain," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 697-707, October.
    12. Ilana Redstone Akresh, 2008. "Occupational Trajectories of Legal US Immigrants: Downgrading and Recovery," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 34(3), pages 435-456, September.
    13. Catalina Amuedo‐Dorantes & Sara De La Rica, 2007. "Labour Market Assimilation of Recent Immigrants in Spain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 257-284, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luciana Méndez-Errico, 2018. "Immigrants over-education and wage penalty. Evidence from Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 18-16, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    2. Ognjen Obućina, 2013. "Occupational trajectories and occupational cost among Senegalese immigrants in Europe," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(19), pages 547-580.
    3. Peter Mühlau, 2012. "Occupational and Earnings Mobility of Polish Migrants in Ireland in the Recession," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp413, IIIS.
    4. Elena Vidal-Coso & Pau Miret-Gamundi, 2014. "The labour trajectories of immigrant women in Spain: Are there signs of upward social mobility?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(13), pages 337-380.
    5. Dell’Aringa, Carlo & Lucifora, Claudio & Pagani, Laura, 2012. "A 'Glass-Ceiling' Effect for Immigrants in the Italian Labour Market?," IZA Discussion Papers 6555, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Luciana Méndez Errico, 2013. "The Impacts of Social Networks on Immigrants’ Employment Prospects: The Spanish Case 1997-2007," Working Papers wpdea1301, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.
    7. Carlo Dell’Aringa & Claudio Lucifora & Laura Pagani, 2015. "Earnings differentials between immigrants and natives: the role of occupational attainment," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Jesús Ruiz-Huerta Carbonell & Rosa María Martínez López, 2014. "Multidimensional poverty in immigrant households: a comparative analysis within the Europe 2020 framework," CIRANO Working Papers 2014s-18, CIRANO.
    9. Olga Alonso-Villar & Coral Río, 2013. "Occupational segregation in a country of recent mass immigration: evidence from Spain," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 50(1), pages 109-134, February.
    10. Nuno Crespo & Nadia Simoes & Sandrina B. Moreira, 2014. "Gender differences in occupational mobility - evidence from Portugal," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(4), pages 460-481, July.
    11. Esteve Sanromá & Raúl Ramos & Hipólito Simón, 2015. "Portability of Human Capital and Immigrant Overeducation in Spain," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(2), pages 223-241, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Spain; occupational mobility; immigration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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