Language Proficiency and Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in the UK

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent, nonprofit limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) supported by the Deutsche Post AG. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. The current research program deals with (1) mobility and flexibility of labor markets, (2) internationalization of labor markets and European integration, (3) the welfare state and labor markets, (4) labor markets in transition, (5) the future of work, (6) project evaluation and (7) general labor economics. Terms of use: Documents in Language Proficiency and Labour Market Performance of Immigrants in the UK Christian Dustmann Francesca Fabbri D I S C U S S I O N P A P E R S E R I E SIZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. This paper uses two recent UK surveys to investigate labour market performance, the determinants of language proficiency, and the effect of language on earnings and employment probabilities of non-white immigrants. Our results show that language acquisition, employment probabilities, as well as earnings differ widely across non-white immigrants, according to their ethnic origin. Language has a strong and positive effects on employment probabilities. Furthermore, lack of English fluency leads to substantial earnings losses of immigrants. While earnings of white and ethnic minority natives develop in a similar manner, there is a large earnings gap between these two groups, and ethnic minority immigrants. English fluency contributes considerably to reducing these differences. Addressing the problems of measurement error and unobserved heterogeneity in language variables, our results indicate that measurement error in the language variable leads to underestimation of the importance of language for employment probabilities and earnings in straightforward regressions. In comparison with results found for other coun...

Over‐Education and Ethnic Minorities in Britain

“…Fluency in speaking the English language is very important for non-white immigrants with an earnings premium of around 10% where fluency is based on interviewers' evaluation of respondents' speaking ability (those whose abilities were fluent were coded 1 and those with fair, poor or none coded 0). This compares with 16% in a study by Dustmann and Fabbri (2000) and 14 to 20% for males across a range of specifications in a study by Lindley (2002). Years since migration have no significant effects on earnings for non-white immigrants.…”

“…As is common in previous analysis using this dataset the data throughout is unweighted (Dustmann and Fabbri, 2000;Lindley, 2002). As such care needs to be taken in interpreting our descriptive statistics especially when comparing whites with non-whites.…”

Unemployment scarring by gender: Human capital depreciation or stigmatization? Longitudinal evidence from the Netherlands, 1980–2000

“…For instance, the ambiguity regarding the recognition of the educational achievements or titles that are specific to certain occupations generate difficulties when it comes to evaluating working skills of non-natives in the hiring process (Chiswick, 1991). In addition, language deficiencies in speaking and writing fluency may raise doubts about the ability of non-native workers to perform in high-skilled jobs (Chiswick, 1991;Dustmann and Fabbri, 2003). Native workers who are more fluent of the host country language will be able to better communicate and promote their qualifications and skills (Dustmann, 1994).…”

Does Foreign Language Proficiency Foster Migration of Young Individuals within the European Union?

“…Data: Eurostat [2012a] aspects of language proficiency: its determinants and its consequences for migrants. Regarding the latter, findings by Bleakley and Chin [2010], Chiswick and Miller [2010], and Dustmann and Fabbri [2003] show that immigrants' accomplishments in a host country's labor market depend positively and to a great extent on their language skills. Regarding the determinants of language proficiency, Chiswick [2008] points out that three aspects: (i) exposure (not being married before migration, not living in an enclave), (ii) efficiency (young age, higher education), and (iii) economic incentives (length of expected stay) positively influence the likelihood that an immigrant acquires proficiency in the host country's language.…”