June 15, 2011

Migrant Women on the Labour Market

The behaviour of migrant women on the labour market is influenced by a variety of factors, among which the culture of the home and the host country.
No title

Part of the literature investigates the role of home-country culture. This study extends the literature by including a measure for the influence of host-country culture as an additional determinant of the participation of migrant women. The empirical model explains participation from demographics and educational attainment, and uses home- and host-country female participation as proxies for culture. Evidence on the basis of the Dutch Labour Force Survey 1996 – 2007 suggests that both differences in home-country female participation and the trend in native female participation, as a measure for host-country culture, affect the participation of migrant women. The results suggest that host-country participation is at least as important as home-country participation.

Keywords: female labour force participation, immigration, cultural transmission

Authors

Suzanne Kok
Nicole Bosch

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