Publication type
Thesis/Degree/Other Honours
Author
Publication date
June 1, 1995
Abstract:
The Determinants of the Occupational Success of Immigrants in the U.K Labour Market investigates various aspects of immigrant labour market experience and behaviour using the Social Change and Economic Life Initiative (1986) and the British Household Panel Survey (1991). Previous research in the U.K has focused on ethnic minorities rather than immigrants per se and has been confined to the analysis of wage differentials and simple descriptive analysis. Using techniques from the established literature this thesis examines wage determination, unemployment probability, labour supply, occupational segregation, self employment propensities, and intergenerational earnings mobility.
The results indicate that immigrants earnings are, at the very least, comparable with those of the indigenous population if not significantly higher. However, immigrants do have higher unemployment rates and tend to supply less labour the results indicating that there may well be a barrier to the transferability of their skills as well as possible language difficulties.
The labour markets for immigrants also seems to be split between high skill and low skill labour reflected in the nature of the jobs undertaken by the immigrants though, it should be noted that immigrants were well represented in some very high skill occupations.
The existence of immigrant enclaves were found to have a beneficial effect for immigrants by easing their transition into the U.K labour market but in some respects they may also be detrimental to their success especially if the enclave has limited work opportunities.
As a consequence of the above findings, several policy recommendations have been made to help immigrants better assimilate into the labour market thereby enabling the U.K to benefit from this source of highly motivated and, in some cases, skilled labour.
Subjects
Notes
not held in Res Lib - bibliographic reference only
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