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The Working Hours of Immigrants in Germany: Temporary versus Permanent

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  • Kahanec, Martin

    (Central European University)

  • Shields, Michael P.

    (Central Michigan University)

Abstract

Migration is often viewed as an investment decision. Temporary migrants can be expected to invest less in accumulating human capital specific to the host country. Instead, they work more hours in order to accumulate savings and invest in financial capital that can be transferred back to their country of origin upon return. In this paper, using German panel data, we explore how temporary migrants differ from permanent migrants in their labor supply decisions and behavior. Upon correcting for endogeneity bias, temporary migrants are found to work more hours than permanent ones. This result supports the human capital theory and a household production model of migration where migrants may be temporary by choice and not because of legal restrictions or even a bad experience in the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Kahanec, Martin & Shields, Michael P., 2010. "The Working Hours of Immigrants in Germany: Temporary versus Permanent," IZA Discussion Papers 4735, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4735
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    6. Dustmann, Christian & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2000. "The Wage Performance of Immigrant Women: Full-Time Jobs, Part-Time Jobs, and the Role of Selection," IZA Discussion Papers 233, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Dustmann, Christian, 2000. "Temporary Migration and Economic Assimilation," IZA Discussion Papers 186, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Zimmermann, Klaus F. (ed.), 2005. "European Migration: What Do We Know?," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199257355.
    9. George J. Borjas, 2021. "Self-Selection and the Earnings of Immigrants," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foundational Essays in Immigration Economics, chapter 4, pages 69-91, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    10. Chiswick, Barry R, 1978. "The Effect of Americanization on the Earnings of Foreign-born Men," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(5), pages 897-921, October.
    11. Kahanec, Martin & Zaiceva, Anzelika & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2009. "Lessons from Migration after EU Enlargement," IZA Discussion Papers 4230, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. István Kónya, 2007. "Optimal Immigration and Cultural Assimilation," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 25(2), pages 367-391.
    13. Schultz, Theodore W, 1975. "The Value of the Ability to Deal with Disequilibria," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 827-846, September.
    14. Martin Kahanec & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), 2010. "EU Labor Markets After Post-Enlargement Migration," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-642-02242-5, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Irene Ferrari, 2020. "The nativity wealth gap in Europe: a matching approach," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(1), pages 33-77, January.
    2. Peter Kuhn & Kailing Shen, 2015. "Do employers prefer migrant workers? Evidence from a Chinese job board," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-31, December.
    3. Kahanec, Martin, 2012. "Skilled Labor Flows: Lessons from the European Union," IZA Research Reports 49, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Fertig, Michael & Kahanec, Martin, 2013. "Mobility in an Enlarging European Union: Projections of Potential Flows from EU's Eastern Neighbors and Croatia," IZA Discussion Papers 7634, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Masso, Jaan & Eamets, Raul & Mõtsmees, Pille, 2013. "The Effect of Migration Experience on Occupational Mobility in Estonia," IZA Discussion Papers 7482, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Guzi, Martin & Kahanec, Martin, 2015. "Socioeconomic Cleavages between Workers from New Member States and Host-country Labour Forces in the EU during the Great Recession," MPRA Paper 74978, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Michael Fertig & Martin Kahanec, 2015. "Projections of potential flows to the enlarging EU from Ukraine, Croatia and other Eastern neighbors," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-27, December.
    8. Renate Ortlieb & Julian Winterheller, 2020. "Behind Migrant and Non‐Migrant Worktime Inequality in Europe: Institutional and Cultural Factors Explaining Differences," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(4), pages 785-815, December.
    9. Martin Kahanec, 2015. "Labour market impacts of post-enlargement migration on hosts and stayers in EU labour markets," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 21(3), pages 359-372, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    temporary migrants; migration; Germany; labor supply;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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