Immigrant participation in welfare benefits in the Netherlands

Arbeitspapier

The efficiency of Dutch welfare system is at the heart of debate as long as immigrants are overrepresented in social welfare benefits during the working age period. This paper examines the degree of participation in social assistance, disability and unemployment benefits across ethnic groups using register data of the entire population in the Netherlands. The analysis shows that migrants are drastically more likely to have a benefit, in particular social assistance and disability benefits. A large part of migrants' dependence can be explained by their background characteristics and immigration history but still a significant unexplained residual is left. Most notably, the probability of welfare use of non-western second generation is about twice as high as the probability of western immigrants, which is a true challenge for policy makers.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 6128

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination ; Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
• Subject: ethnic minorities ; benefits ; inactivity ; Migranten ; Ethnische Gruppe ; Sozialhilfeempfänger ; Lohnfortzahlung ; Niederlande

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Zorlu, Aslan
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2011

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/58519
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-201112136761
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET