Immigrants' Effect on Native Workers: New Analysis on Longitudinal Data

Arbeitspapier

Using longitudinal data on the universe of workers in Denmark during the period 1991-2008 we track the labor market outcomes of low skilled natives in response to an exogenous inflow of low skilled immigrants. We innovate on previous identification strategies by considering immigrants distributed across municipalities by a refugee dispersal policy in place between 1986 and 1998. We find that an increase in the supply of refugee-country immigrants pushed less educated native workers (especially the young and low-tenured ones) to pursue less manual-intensive occupations. As a result immigration had positive effects on native unskilled wages, employment and occupational mobility.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 8961

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; International Migration ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
• Subject: refugees ; dispersal policy ; manual skills ; employment ; wages

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Foged, Mette ; Peri, Giovanni
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2015

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/110686
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET