Is There a Double‐Negative Effect? Gender and Ethnic Wage Differentials in Italy

Abstract

This paper investigates the gender and ethnic wage differentials for female migrants in Italy by applying the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition, with and without Heckman correction, to account for self‐selection into the labour market. The gender wage gap is nearly 15 per cent, more than 60 per cent of which is unexplained by observable differences. The ethnic wage gap is much larger (39 per cent), but endowments explain 53 per cent of the gap. We also estimate the double‐negative effect of being both female and a migrant. A female migrant earns 42 per cent less than an Italian male; the unexplained component is estimated to be 53–65 per cent. Results are robust to different specifications.

Wage Performance of Immigrants in Germany

“… Some examples of the literature are Shamsuddin (), Dustmann and Schmidt (), Hayfron (), Adsera and Chiswick (), Le and Miller (), Nicodemo and Ramos (), Lopez (), Piazzalunga () and Herrera‐Idárraga et al . (). …”

Les écarts salariaux dans une profession à prédominance féminine: le travail domestique informel et flexible au Portugal

“…Si l'immigration a contribué à alimenter l'offre de main-d'oeuvre dans les activités de soin et le travail ménager, permettant ainsi aux femmes d'exercer un emploi hors du ménage (Anderson, 2007;Bettio, Simonazzi et Villa, 2006), l'écart salarial observé entre nationaux et immigrés confirme la plus grande vulnérabilité des travailleurs domestiques immigrés. On a là la confirmation des études établissant l'existence d'un écart salarial ethnique, qui montrent que les travailleuses domestiques immigrées sont encore plus pénalisées que les travailleuses domestiques nationales (Shamsuddin, 1998;Piazzalunga, 2015).…”

“…L'interaction entre le statut migratoire, le sexe et l'origine aggrave la vulnérabilité des travailleurs domestiques (Anderson, 1997;Duffy, 2005). Certains auteurs ont examiné la question au moyen du concept de double effet négatif (Shamsuddin, 1998;Piazzalunga, 2015). Ils ont comparé les écarts de salaire entre nationaux et étrangers et entre femmes et hommes.…”

Wage differentials within a female‐dominated occupation: Domestic workers in informal and flexible jobs in Portugal

“…The link with gender, migration and ethnicity increases the vulnerability of domestic workers (Anderson, 1997;Duffy, 2005). Some authors have explored this issue through the concept of the double-negative effect (Shamsuddin, 1998;Piazzalunga, 2015). These studies compare the wage differentials between native and foreign-born men and women.…”

“…These studies compare the wage differentials between native and foreign-born men and women. Piazzalunga (2015) finds substantial evidence of ethnic discrimination against women migrants, while Shamsuddin (1998) emphasizes gender-based discrimination. Accordingly, an ethnic wage gap is expected in domestic work.…”