Migrant Workers and the Welfare State

Arbeitspapier

There is wide concern that migration flows may undermine the financial viability of generous welfare arrangements. The discussion focuses on welfare arrangements as attractors of migrants, suggesting that the issue does not pertain to migrant workers. However, this overlooks how welfare arrangements affect return-migration in case of social events like job loss. Importantly, migrants are shown to be self-selected in a way affecting both migration and return-migration. Two migration regimes prevail. In one, with relatively low benefits, unemployed workers return, while in the other some stay. Importantly, the stay or return migration decision is more sensitive to welfare generosity than the migration decision.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 9940

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; International Migration ; Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies: Public Policy ; General Welfare; Well-Being
• Subject: migrant workers ; return-migration ; job-loss ; unemployment benefits

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Andersen, Torben M. ; Migali, Silvia
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2016

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/142379
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET