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Employment chances of immigrants and their children in Germany: does sense of personal control matter?

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  • Anna Thum-Thysen

    (Rue de la Loi 170)

Abstract

Labour market integration is a social process suggesting that personality traits are relevant. This paper explores whether immigrants with a higher belief in their ability to control outcomes tend to be more likely to be employed. This trait is known in psychology as the locus of control (LOC). I employ a model framework that allows LOC to depend on a set of observable determining variables. Results indicate that sense of personal control is correlated with employment probability and that there is a risk that immigrants and their children tend to have a more externalized LOC. Mother’s education is a key factor correlated with the sense of personal control.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Thum-Thysen, 2016. "Employment chances of immigrants and their children in Germany: does sense of personal control matter?," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-25, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:izamig:v:5:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1186_s40176-016-0064-0
    DOI: 10.1186/s40176-016-0064-0
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Personality; Labour market; Unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • M59 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Other
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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