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Social Contacts, Dutch Language Proficiency and Immigrant Economic Performance in the Netherlands: A Longitudinal Study

Author

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  • Chiswick, Barry R.

    (George Washington University)

  • Wang, Zhiling

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Abstract

Using longitudinal data on immigrants in the Netherlands for the years 1991, 1994, 1998, 2002, we examined the impacts of social contacts and Dutch language proficiency on adult foreign-born men's earnings, employment and occupational status. The main conclusions are as follows. On average, social contacts and a good mastery of the Dutch language enhance immigrants' economic performances. The effects are stronger for immigrants with low-skill-transferability than for immigrants with high-skill-transferability, and are stronger for economic migrants than for non-economic migrants. Contact with Dutch people and Dutch organisations unambiguously enhances all aspects of immigrants' economic performance, however, we found no evidence for the positive effect of co-ethnic contact on employment status.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiswick, Barry R. & Wang, Zhiling, 2016. "Social Contacts, Dutch Language Proficiency and Immigrant Economic Performance in the Netherlands: A Longitudinal Study," IZA Discussion Papers 9760, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9760
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    Cited by:

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    3. Haining Wang & Zhiming Cheng & Russell Smyth, 2016. "Language, Health Outcomes and Health Inequality," Monash Economics Working Papers 43-16, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    4. John Östh & Martina Dolciotti & Aura Reggiani & Peter Nijkamp, 2018. "Social Capital, Resilience and Accessibility in Urban Systems: a Study on Sweden," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 313-336, June.
    5. Evgeni Varshaver & Anna Rocheva, 2021. "“Homeland-Rooted” or Acquired in the Receiving Society: How Does the Composition of Migrants’ “Co-Ethnic” Ties Affect Their Patterns of Integration?," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 347-368, March.
    6. Wang, Haining & Smyth, Russell & Cheng, Zhiming, 2017. "The economic returns to proficiency in English in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 91-104.
    7. Gergely Horváth, 2020. "The Impact of Social Segregation on the Labor Market Outcomes of Low‐Skilled Workers," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(1), pages 3-37, January.
    8. Zhiling Wang & Thomas de Graaff & Peter Nijkamp, 2018. "Barriers of Culture, Networks, and Language in International Migration: A Review," REGION, European Regional Science Association, vol. 5, pages 73-89.
    9. Zhiling Wang, 2020. "The incompatibility of local economic prosperity and migrants’ social integration: evidence from the Netherlands," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 64(1), pages 57-78, February.
    10. Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2019. "Health outcomes, health inequality and Mandarin proficiency in urban China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-1.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social capital; Dutch language proficiency; labour market performance; Dutch immigrants; skill transferability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • 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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