Immigrant Economic Integration: A Prospective Analysis over Ten Years of Settlement

Abstract

The growing diaspora in migration has prompted Western countries in recent years to examine the factors contributing to the economic integration of newcomers. If their integration is unsuccessful, it could create economic inequalities and be burdensome to the host society. The inequalities experienced by working immigrants have often been examined through cross-sectional data describing the situation at a specific moment in time, with limited consideration of the complexity of the immigrant's settlement experience. This paper examines the economic integration of new immigrants through prospective analysis and considers multiple factors concurrently in an effort to address some of this complexity. The current study focuses on employment disparities across source regions. The analyses are taken from a ten-year longitudinal survey describing the socio-economic experience of 429 new immigrants settled in the Montreal metropolitan area. Over time, wage and occupational mobility increase, although it appears stagnant for different groups of respondents from specific regions such as East Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Also, like respondents from sub-Saharan Africa, these respondents face difficulties sustaining a position in the labour market.

Years of Refugee Life in Serbia – Challenges for a New Beginning:stay or Return Home?

“…This choice was influenced by years spent in refuge, where after the initial period of adaptation, mistrust and social tensions between refugees and domicile population, ties with local community were built. Refugees in a new environment as well as other immigrants spend their first year adapting and rebuilding social and family networks, which was shown in other studies (Fawcett 1989, Gurak and Caces 1992, Küün 2008, Portes 1995, Godin 2008, Hyvönen 2008. As Godin (2008) says in his work, most found their first job during this time which does not correspond with their premigration socio-occupational ambitions, thus shortening the period of the first job and increasing the risk of transition to another job.…”

“…Refugees in a new environment as well as other immigrants spend their first year adapting and rebuilding social and family networks, which was shown in other studies (Fawcett 1989, Gurak and Caces 1992, Küün 2008, Portes 1995, Godin 2008, Hyvönen 2008. As Godin (2008) says in his work, most found their first job during this time which does not correspond with their premigration socio-occupational ambitions, thus shortening the period of the first job and increasing the risk of transition to another job. Later, Godin continues, after they assimilated the formal and informal policies of the host work world, they could seek out the labour market to find a job consistent with their pre-migration socio-occupational ambitions.…”

“…Later, Godin continues, after they assimilated the formal and informal policies of the host work world, they could seek out the labour market to find a job consistent with their pre-migration socio-occupational ambitions. Several researchers studied the impact of labor market conditions on their employment activity (Miller 1986, McDonald and Worswick 1998, Åslund and Rooth 2003, Aydemir 2003, Aydemir and Skuterud 2005, Godin 2008) and they showed that it played only a weak role in recent immigrants' initial employment. Many refugees from Croatia and Bosnia found employment in the grey economy in Serbia.…”

Episodes of non-employment among immigrants from developing countries in Canada

“…Thus, at different times during their settlement, certain regions of origin affect employability and professional mobility more negatively than others. In fact, immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East face more difficulties in finding a job, which subsequently increases the economic disparities between these groups and Canadian-born individuals (Godin 2008).…”

Episodes of Non-Employment Among Immigrants to Canada from Developing Countries

“…Thus, at different times during their settlement, certain regions of origin affect employability and professional mobility more negatively than others. In fact, immigrants from the Sub-Saharan-Africa, North Africa and the Middle East face more difficulties in finding a job, which subsequently increases the economic disparities between these groups and Canadian-born individuals (Godin, 2008).…”