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In Europe, Arduous Jobs Fall on First-Generation Migrants: But Later Generations Benefit from Improved Opportunities

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  • Vincent Vandenberghe

    (Université catholique de Louvain (UCL)
    GLO, Global Labor Organisation)

Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on migrants’ labour-market disadvantages by considering one dimension that has received limited attention in Europe: their occupations’ (relative) physical arduousness. To quantify their arduousness gap, the paper combines (i) data from the European Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) informing on occupation and immigration status with (ii) information on occupational arduousness from the U.S. O*NET database, categorised at the ISCO 3-digit level. The findings reveal that first-generation migrants, particularly women and/or non-EU migrants, are disproportionately concentrated in arduous jobs, experiencing a significant disadvantage in working conditions. However, this disadvantage slowly diminishes over time, with the accumulation of residency in the host country leading to improved occupational outcomes. Notably, second-generation migrants close this gap and even experience a slight advantage in work arduousness compared to native workers, pointing to complete convergence.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent Vandenberghe, 2025. "In Europe, Arduous Jobs Fall on First-Generation Migrants: But Later Generations Benefit from Improved Opportunities," De Economist, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 425-448, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:decono:v:173:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10645-025-09453-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s10645-025-09453-x
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    JEL classification:

    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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