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Labor Market Integration of Minority Women: The Role of Religiosity, Residential Area and Their Interaction Among Arab Muslim and Christian Women in Israel

Author

Listed:
  • Ilan Shdema

    (Department of Human Services, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Mizra 1930600, Israel)

  • Moshe Sharabi

    (Department of Organizational Development and Consulting, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Mizra 1930600, Israel)

  • Yaron Mor

    (Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, 8 University Street, Herzliya 4610101, Israel)

  • Hisham Motkal Abu-Rayya

    (School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
    School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3083, Australia)

Abstract

The integration of ethnoreligious minorities into labor markets, particularly among women, is a key contemporary issue. The present study examines the associations among labor market outcomes (employment status, job type—full-time/part-time, wages, and rank), level of religiosity and residential area (in or outside ethnic enclaves) among Arab Muslim and Christian women in Israel. Both groups reside in predominantly Jewish and Arab localities but differ in terms of religiosity, with Muslims being substantially more religious. Utilizing official data from the Social Survey of the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, covering a decade between 2013 and 2022, with a sample of 4112 participants, the study finds that both residential area and religiosity are associated with labor market outcomes, particularly among Muslim women. Religiosity is negatively associated with employment quality measures (job type, wages, and rank), while residing in predominantly Jewish localities is positively associated with labor market participation. An interaction effect is observed regarding wages and type of position (full/part time). This study contributes to theory by introducing residential area as a new factor explaining the negative association between religiosity and labor market outcomes, as well as advancing agent-based approaches to study ethnic enclaves.

Suggested Citation

  • Ilan Shdema & Moshe Sharabi & Yaron Mor & Hisham Motkal Abu-Rayya, 2025. "Labor Market Integration of Minority Women: The Role of Religiosity, Residential Area and Their Interaction Among Arab Muslim and Christian Women in Israel," World, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:6:y:2025:i:3:p:125-:d:1745544
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ilan Shdema & Hisham M. Abu‐Rayya & Izhak Schnell, 2019. "The interconnections between socio‐spatial factors and labour market integration among Arabs in Israel," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(1), pages 497-514, February.
    2. Per-Anders Edin & Peter Fredriksson & Olof Åslund, 2003. "Ethnic Enclaves and the Economic Success of Immigrants—Evidence from a Natural Experiment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(1), pages 329-357.
    3. Jawad Syed & Edwina Pio, 2010. "Veiled diversity? Workplace experiences of Muslim women in Australia," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 115-137, March.
    4. Ayse Pamuk, 2004. "Geography of immigrant clusters in global cities: a case study of San Francisco," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 287-307, June.
    5. Moshe Sharabi & Ilan Shdema & Doaa Manadreh & Lubna Tannous-Haddad, 2025. "Muslim Working Women: The Effect of Cultural Values and Degree of Religiosity on the Centrality of Work, Family, and Other Life Domains," World, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-17, March.
    6. Matthew Soener & Olivier Godechot & Mirna Safi, 2023. "Who Benefits from Migrant and Female Labor? Connecting Wages to Demographic Changes in French Workplaces 1," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) hal-04319370, HAL.
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    8. Ilan Shdema & Moshe Sharabi & Doaa Manadreh & Galit Yanay-Ventura, 2024. "Religiosity and labour market attainments of muslim-arab women in Israel," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 2523-2542, June.
    9. Nabil Khattab & Ron Johnston, 2013. "Ethnic and Religious Penalties in a Changing British Labour Market from 2002 to 2010: The Case of Unemployment," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(6), pages 1358-1371, June.
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