Differences in labour market outcomes between natives, refugees and other migrants in the UK

Using 2010–2017 data we compare the labour market outcomes of refugees (those who migrated to seek asylum), natives (UK-born) and other migrants in the UK (work, study and family migrants). The results indicate that refugees are less likely to be employed and earn less than natives and other migrants. The evidence suggests that differences in health status (particularly mental health) may be one of the factors that partly explain these gaps. Employment growth of refugees between 2010 and 2016 was significantly higher than that of other migrants, but this was not the case for earnings.

• Publication year

  2018

• Venue

  Journal of Economic Geography

• Publication date

  2018-05-29

• Fields of study

  Sociology, Economics

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1093/JEG/LBY027
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• Refugees did not show a corresponding earnings-growth advantage over other migrants between 2010 and 2016.

  Confidence 0.90

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• Refugees experienced significantly higher employment growth than other migrants between 2010 and 2016.

  Confidence 0.93

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• Differences in health status, particularly mental health, may partly explain the gaps in employment and earnings between refugees and the comparison groups.

  Confidence 0.90

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• Refugees are less likely to be employed and earn less than natives and other migrants in the UK.

  Confidence 0.98

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review

• earnings

  outcome

  Income received from work, used here as a labour market outcome.

  Aliases: wages, labour earnings

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• employment

  outcome

  Whether a person is in paid work or has a job in the UK labour market.

  Aliases: employed status, being employed

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• employment growth

  outcome

  Change in employment over time for the refugee group compared with other migrants.

  Aliases: employment change

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• health status

  explanatory factor, health measure

  Overall health condition used as a potential explanatory factor for labour market differences, including mental health.

  Aliases: health

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• mental health

  health measure

  Psychological well-being or mental health condition considered within the health-status explanation.

  Aliases: psychological health

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• natives

  group

  People born in the UK who serve as the native-born comparison group.

  Aliases: UK-born

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• other migrants

  group

  Migrants to the UK whose reasons for migration are work, study, or family.

  Aliases: work migrants, study migrants, family migrants

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• refugees

  group

  Migrants who came to the UK to seek asylum and are the focal group in the comparison.

  Aliases: asylum seekers

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review
• uk labour market outcomes

  outcome

  Measures of how people fare in the UK labour market, including employment and earnings.

  Aliases: labour market outcomes

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewjihoonc (k5vuy3tzcm) review

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• Bibliography

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• Appendix

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• Working Life

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• Conclusion

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