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Convergence or divergence? Immigrant wage assimilation patterns in Germany

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  • Zibrowius, Michael

Abstract

Using a rich German panel data set, I estimate wage assimilation patterns for immigrants in Germany. This study contributes to the literature by performing separate estimations by skill groups and controlling for a wide range of socio-economic background variables. It aims to answer the question whether Germany can be considered an attractive host country from an immigrant's perspective. Comparisons with similar natives reveal that immigrants' experience earnings profiles are flatter on average, although clear differences show up among skill groups. The effect of time spent in the host country is significantly positive for all skill groups and thus partly offsetting the diverging trend in the experience earnings profiles. Still, wage differences between natives and immigrants remain. They are particularly noticeable for highly skilled immigrants, the group needed most in Germany's skill intensive labor market. Separate estimations for immigrant subgroups confirm the general validity of the results.

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  • Zibrowius, Michael, 2011. "Convergence or divergence? Immigrant wage assimilation patterns in Germany," FAU Discussion Papers in Economics 03/2011, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institute for Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:iwqwdp:032011
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    Cited by:

    1. Giulia Bettin & Riccardo Lucchetti, 2016. "Steady streams and sudden bursts: persistence patterns in remittance decisions," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 29(1), pages 263-292, January.
    2. Giulia BETTIN & Riccardo LUCCHETTI, 2012. "Intertemporal remittance behaviour by immigrants in Germany," Working Papers 385, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    international migration; wage differentials; assimilation; longitudinal data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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