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Immigrants' and Natives' Unemployment-risk: Productivity Differentials or Discrimination?

Author

Listed:
  • Arai, Mahmood

    (FIEF and Department of Economics, Stockholm University)

  • Vilhelmsson, Roger

    (SOFI)

Abstract

Studying the unemployment risk during 1992 to 1995 for a sample of employees in 1991, we find that immigrants from the non-European countries run a risk of unemployment that is twice the corresponding risk for the native workers. There exist substantial unemployment-risk differentials taking into account employees’ demographic and human capital characteristics, the wage-rate in 1991 and systematic sorting of workers across establishments associated with varying unemployment risks. Exaggerating beyond all reasonable limits, the ability differentials (measured in school grades and IQ-tests) between immigrants and natives fails to explain the differences between immigrants and natives in unemployment risks. Our simulations indicate that the observed unemployment-risk differentials between native and non-European workers correspond to ability differentials that are at least as large as the whole range of IQ-scores. Our conclusion is that discriminatory behavior and stereotype beliefs must be involved. Furthermore, we report results indicating that the existing income-gap between immigrants and natives in Sweden is almost entirely due to unequal employment opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Arai, Mahmood & Vilhelmsson, Roger, 2001. "Immigrants' and Natives' Unemployment-risk: Productivity Differentials or Discrimination?," Working Paper Series 169, Trade Union Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:fiefwp:0169
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    File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/fiefwp/papers/WP169.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alireza Behtoui, 2004. "Unequal Opportunities for Young People with Immigrant Backgrounds in the Swedish Labour Market," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 18(4), pages 633-660, December.
    2. Lundborg, Per, 2005. "Wage Fairness, Growth and the Utilization of R&D Workers," Working Paper Series 206, Trade Union Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Sari Pekkala Kerr & William R. Kerr, 2011. "Economic Impacts of Immigration: A Survey," Finnish Economic Papers, Finnish Economic Association, vol. 24(1), pages 1-32, Spring.
    4. Waisman, Gisela & Larsen, Birthe, 2007. "Do attitudes towards immigrants matter?," Working Papers 11-2007, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics.
    5. Hesselius, Patrik, 2003. "Does Sick Absence Increase the Risk of Unemployment?," Working Paper Series 2003:15, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.
    6. Lundborg, Per, 2005. "Wage Theories for the Swedish Labour Market," Working Paper Series 207, Trade Union Institute for Economic Research.
    7. Nekby, Lena, 2002. "Employment Convergence of Immigrants and Natives in Sweden," Research Papers in Economics 2002:9, Stockholm University, Department of Economics.
    8. Nekby, Lena, 2002. "How Long Does it Take to Integrate? Employment Convergence of Immigrants and Natives in Sweden," Working Paper Series 185, Trade Union Institute for Economic Research.
    9. Selén, Jan & Ståhlberg, Ann-Charlotte, 2004. "Wage and Compensation Inequality — How Different?," Working Paper Series 197, Trade Union Institute for Economic Research.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; Unemployment; Discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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