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“Linguistic Distance and Job Quality in a Bilingual Labour Market”

Author

Listed:
  • Lorenzo Cappellari

    (Catholic University of Milan)

  • Antonio Di Paolo

    (AQR-IREA, University of Barcelona)

  • Thompson Ogajah Tawiah

    (AQR-IREA, University of Barcelona)

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between language background and labour market outcomes in the bilingual labour market of the Spanish region of Catalonia. The empirical analysis draws on repeated cross-sectional data that allow us to construct a quantitative measure of linguistic distance based on respondents’ native language, computed with respect to Catalan, the local language of Catalonia. As labour market outcomes, we consider employment probability and occupational quality, proxied by an indicator for holding a high-skilled job and by an ordinal measure of occupational skill level. The results indicate that, conditional on place of origin and a set of predetermined individual characteristics and controlling for origin-specific trends in years since migration, linguistic distance is not associated with employment. However, it is negatively related to both the likelihood of holding a high-skilled job and occupational skill levels. We analyse the role of language skills as a mechanism, showing that oral and written proficiency in Catalan are key drivers of the negative relationship between linguistic distance and occupational quality. Moreover, this relationship does not appear to be confounded by proficiency in Spanish, and the overall results are robust to a battery of robustness checks. Finally, the analysis of heterogeneous effects reveals an employment penalty associated with linguistic distance among females, and shows that its association with occupational quality is entirely driven by highly educated workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorenzo Cappellari & Antonio Di Paolo & Thompson Ogajah Tawiah, 2026. "“Linguistic Distance and Job Quality in a Bilingual Labour Market”," AQR Working Papers 202604, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised Mar 2026.
    • Handle: RePEc:aqr:wpaper:202604
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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