Initial employment pathways of immigrants in Germany. Why legal contexts of reception matter – an analysis of life-course data

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of legal status on economic integration opportunities after immigrants arrive in Germany. Those coming from European Union (EU) countries experience a legal context of reception quite distinct from those from outside the EU, i.e. third-country nationals. Of these third-country nationals, asylum-seekers are particularly vulnerable as long as their legal status is unresolved. The empirical analysis (National Educational Panel Study) of longitudinal employment patterns studies persons who moved to Germany as adults between 1964 and 2003. Results show that, while EU nationals had the highest likelihood of entering high-status occupations immediately after arrival, a large proportion of refugees persistently faced difficulties in entering the labour force or at most slowly gained access to unskilled jobs. By contrast, politically privileged ethnic German resettlers (Aussiedler), though experiencing initial unemployment similar to refugees, managed to transition into employment fairly fast. Other third-country nationals are situated between resettlers and EU nationals. Ré sumé Cet article étudie l'impact du statut légal sur les opportunités d'intégration économique qui s'offrent aux immigrés après leur arrivée en Allemagne. Les immigrés provenant des pays de l'Union européenne (UE) se trouvent dans un contexte juridique de réception très différent de celui que connaissent les personnes originaires de l'extérieur de l'UE, c'est-à-dire les ressortissants de pays tiers. Parmi ces ressortissants de pays tiers, les demandeurs d'asile sont particulièrement vulnérables aussi longtemps que leur statut juridique n'est pas clarifié. L'analyse empirique (National Educational Panel Study) des schémas d'emplois longitudinaux porte sur des personnes arrivées en Allemagne à l'âge adulte entre 1964 et 2003. Les résultats montrent que si les ressortissants de l'UE bénéficient de la probabilité la plus élevée d'obtenir un emploi relevant d'un statut élevé immédiatement après leur arrivée, une proportion importante de réfugiés continuent

Determinants of welfare benefit use of immigrant groups - longitudinal evidence from Germany

“…Building on previous research comparing the welfare use of immigrant groups, this paper adds refugees to the analysis as a separate group from other third country immigrants. Studies conducted after the arrival of recent refugees have indicated a refugee labor market penalty that cannot be completely explained by differences in education level or sociodemographic factors (Bähr et al, 2017;Söhn, 2019;Bedaso, 2021). However, comparison between recent refugees and other immigrants has been limited.…”

Workplace universalism and the integration of migrant workers and refugees in Germany

“…Second, the demand for unskilled labour in manufacturing has declined and occupational skills are often demanded; even low‐skilled jobs in manufacturing and services require German language skills. Third, their legal status shapes differing ‘integration trajectories’ (Söhn, 2019); for example, employers are sometimes reluctant to employ refugees who do not have a secure status in terms of residence and unlimited work permit.…”

Geflüchtete im Betrieb

“…So gibt es systematische Unterschiede zwischen Flüchtlingen und deutschen Staatsbürgerinnen und Staatsbürgern (oder beispielsweise Arbeitsmigrantinnen und -migranten aus der EU). Der rechtliche Status wirkt auf die integration trajectories (Söhn 2019). An diesen Unterschieden jedoch unmittelbar kulturelle Differenz festzumachen und daran eine »them and us«-Konstellation anzuschließen, geht jedoch als soziale Konstruktion weit darüber hinaus.…”