A Care Convergence? Quantifying Wage Disparities for Migrant Care Workers Across Three Welfare Regimes

Social policy literature is divided on the ongoing relevance of welfare regime typologies given considerable heterogeneity within as well as between categories. Using 2010 Luxembourg Income Study data, this study disaggregates high and low status paid care work, quantifying any associate wage bonus or wage penalty, across three welfare regimes – liberal, conservative, and social democratic. In the majority of case study countries, immigrants are less likely to work in high status care than non-immigrants with equivalent human capital, suggesting access barriers to professional jobs in health, education and social work. The reverse pattern is evidenced in the case of low status service and sales work in care, demonstrating convergence across welfare regimes. However, there is also significant wage variation within care work. Pooled country models demonstrate a consistent wage bonus for high status care work, while regime type has a moderating effect in the case of low status care work, independent of immigrant status. A care wage penalty is found for both immigrants and non-immigrants working in low status care in liberal and conservative states, but no such penalty is found in the case of social democratic regimes.