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Skill Specificity and Attitudes toward Immigration

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  • Sergi Pardos‐Prado
  • Carla Xena

Abstract

Labor market competition theories explaining anti‐immigrant attitudes have received limited or no empirical validation in recent literature. This has led researchers to highlight education and cultural values as the main, if not the sole, drivers of attitudes toward immigration. We present a new labor market competition theory focusing on job availability rather than foreign labor supply. This theory predicts that individuals with low transferable skills in the labor market will articulate a subjective sense of job insecurity and higher hostility toward migrants. Our cross‐classified, longitudinal, and difference‐in‐differences models reveal that skill specificity is a strong driver of anti‐immigrant attitudes, and they suggest that economic competition theories cannot be dismissed. By shifting the attention from supply to demand in the labor market, and from actual to potential competition with migrants, we show that the highly educated are far from immune to anti‐immigrant attitudes.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergi Pardos‐Prado & Carla Xena, 2019. "Skill Specificity and Attitudes toward Immigration," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 63(2), pages 286-304, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:63:y:2019:i:2:p:286-304
    DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12406
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Iversen, Torben & Soskice, David, 2001. "An Asset Theory of Social Policy Preferences," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 95(4), pages 875-893, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dražanová, Lenka & Gonnot, Jérôme & Heidland, Tobias & Krüger, Finja, 2022. "Understanding differences in attitudes to immigration: A meta-analysis of individual-level factors," Kiel Working Papers 2235, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Lenka Dražanová & Jérôme Gonnot, 2023. "Public Opinion and Immigration in Europe: Can Regional Migration Flows Predict Public Attitudes to Immigration?," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/18, European University Institute.
    3. Marco Giani & Luca Paolo Merlino, 2021. "Terrorist attacks and minority perceived discrimination," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/351080, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Nikolas Kouloglou & George N. Georgarakis, 2023. "Public Support for European Integration in Greece and Italy Between 2015 and 2020," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(3), pages 29-44.
    5. Tobias Müller & Silvio Hong Tiing Tai, 2020. "Individual attitudes towards migration: A re‐examination of the evidence," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(4), pages 1663-1702, November.
    6. Nicole Wu, 2023. "“Restrict foreigners, not robots”: Partisan responses to automation threat," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 505-528, July.
    7. Roman Hlatky, 2023. "The politicization of European integration and support for restrictive migration policies," European Union Politics, , vol. 24(4), pages 684-707, December.
    8. Bolet, Diane, 2020. "Local labour market competition and radical right voting: evidence from France," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103016, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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