Late-Life Migration, Work Status, and Survival: The Case of Older Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel

Litwin, Howard; Leshem, Elazar

doi:10.1111/j.1747-7379.2008.00152.x

Cited by 74 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…A recent analysis notes that many of the older immigrants from the FSU did not undertake gainful employment after their immigration to Israel (Litwin and Leshem 2009). More general studies of FSU immigrant economic assimilation in Israel have documented impressive employment levels among the immigrants, but this came partly at the cost of occupational downgrading compared with the occupations they held in their former country (Raijman and Semyonov 1997; Eckstein and Weiss 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants Aged 50 and Older in Israel

Amit

Litwin

2009

Soc Indic Res

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The present study evaluated the integration of elderly people who migrated to Israel during their lifetimes. Subjective well-being, as measured by the immigrants’ perception of quality of life, satisfaction with life and emotional state, served as a general indicator of integration. The integration of elderly immigrants has not received adequate attention in the literature. A unique database (SHARE-Israel) that was recently released has made study of this topic possible. The current study sample was composed of former migrants aged 50 and older (n = 930). The analytic model examined ethnic origin and migration variables in relation to the respective subjective outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic background, human and social capital and health. The findings show that in general, ethnic origin seems to matter less for the evaluation of immigrants’ subjective well-being than other socio economic factors such as economic status, social capital and health status. However, recent arrivals from the Former Soviet Union do differ from all other immigrant groups in their lower levels of well-being. In addition, the study points to the importance of language proficiency as a central means for integration in the destination country.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants Aged 50 and Older in Israel

Amit

Litwin

2009

Soc Indic Res

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“…For them, economic and employment motives were important in their decision to immigrate along with religion, anti‐Semitic, and security concerns (Amit, ; Lisak, ). FSU immigrants created ethnic niches connecting mainly with co‐ethnic individuals, and formed a separate sector within Israeli society with press and TV in their native language (Horowitz, ; Litwin & Leshem, ; Remennick, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimensions of life satisfaction: Immigrant and ethnic minorities

Kushnirovich

Sherman

2017

International Migration

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The article investigates the dimensions of life satisfaction of immigrant and ethnic minorities comparing them with the majority population. It constructs a theoretical framework, taking into account both pecuniary and non‐pecuniary dimensions of welfare. This study is based on the data of the Social Survey, administered by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. Immigrants in this study are regarded as a migrant minority and Israeli‐born Arab citizens as an ethnic minority. The results reveal significant life satisfaction gaps between the groups, which can be partially explained by the value of work per se and the value of leisure activities. Applying the Blinder‐Oaxaca decomposition technique, the study revealed that the gap in life satisfaction could be attributed both to the differences in pecuniary and non‐pecuniary resources for each group, and to different returns on resources. Policy targeted on increasing the economic possibilities of minority groups would decrease the life satisfaction gaps.

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“…In contrast, work of any kind among the FSU immigrants who already suffered downward mobility in occupational status when immigrating to Israel (Raijman and Semyonov 1998), seems to be preferable to no work at all. This may stem from the former Soviet norms that emphasize the importance of participation in the labor force (Litwin and Leshem 2008), above and beyond the effect of their immediate material needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research has also documented a higher prevalence rate of emotional distress among Arab-Israelis compared to veteran-Jews (Shemesh et al 2006), as well as a low level of QOL and a high level of depression among the FSU immigrants compared to other immigrants to Israel (Amit and Litwin 2010). Although some of the older immigrants from the FSU found jobs after their arrival, it often came at the cost of occupational downgrading compared to their previous careers (Raijman and Semyonov 1998), and many others remained unemployed in their new host country (Litwin and Leshem 2008). Wealth acquired by older persons from the Arab-Israeli and FSU immigrants groups is lower in comparison to their counterparts in the veteran-Jewish group (Semyonov and Lewin-Epstein 2011).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minority population group status and QOL change: the case of older Israelis

Damri

Litwin

2016

Eur J Ageing

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This study explores minority group status in relation to change in Quality of Life (QOL) among three population groups in Israel—Veteran Jews, Arab-Israelis and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU)—controlling for a set of known predictors. The study uses panel data from two waves (2009/10 and 2013) of the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, (N=1,590). A set of Ordinary Least Squares regressions is used to predict positive QOL change over the two waves. Interaction terms in a number of selected areas are considered. The results show that minority group status (Arab-Israelis and FSU immigrants) is negatively related to positive QOL change, compared to the majority group (Veteran Jews). Moreover, being employed was found to improve QOL for older FSU immigrants, underscoring the realm of work in the well-being of this population group. In comparison, it was exchange with family members that had a positive effect on QOL change among the Arab-Israelis, emphasizing the importance of that particular aspect of their lives in older age. In sum, the results highlight the risk of minority group status to well-being in late life and confirms the observation that positive QOL change correlates with characteristically different factors among different population groups.

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Late-Life Migration, Work Status, and Survival: The Case of Older Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Israel

Cited by 74 publications

References 18 publications

The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants Aged 50 and Older in Israel

The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants Aged 50 and Older in Israel

Dimensions of life satisfaction: Immigrant and ethnic minorities

Minority population group status and QOL change: the case of older Israelis

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