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The role of regional languages in the integration of migrants in the Spanish labour market

Author

Listed:
  • Joan Martín-Montaner

    (Universitat Jaume I and Instituto de Economía Internacional)

  • Francisco Requena

    (Universitat de València)

  • Guadalupe Serrano

    (Universitat de València)

Abstract

We analyze the determinants of the internal and foreign migrants’ decision regarding their employment status and examine the importance of second-language proficiency in bilingual language economies. When arriving at a bilingual territory, migrants must decide which languages to learn. If one of the languages predominates in economic activity, there are less incentives for migrants to make the effort of learning the second language. However, if a local language contributes to build or strengthen a regional identity, learning it could help immigrants’ immersion in the receiving region. We use the Spanish Census in 2001, which exceptionally asked all participants about their knowledge of the co-official language in the bilingual regions. Our results show that second-language proficiency reduces the probability of being unemployed and stimulates self-employment. The impact becomes stronger among foreign migrants without Spanish as a first language and migrants arriving after primary school and living in non-urban areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Joan Martín-Montaner & Francisco Requena & Guadalupe Serrano, 2024. "The role of regional languages in the integration of migrants in the Spanish labour market," Working Papers 2404, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    • Handle: RePEc:eec:wpaper:2404
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiahai Wei & Yang Jiao & Glenn Growe, 2019. "Language skills and migrant entrepreneurship: evidence from China," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 981-999, December.
    2. Aldashev, Alisher & Danzer, Alexander M., 2014. "Economic Returns to Speaking the Right Language(s)? Evidence from Kazakhstan's Shift in State Language and Language of Instruction," IZA Discussion Papers 8624, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Tutz, Gerhard, 1991. "Sequential models in categorical regression," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 275-295, May.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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