Wassilis Kassis and Didier Ruedin

Overcoming Inequalities in the Labor Market: Can Educational Measures Strengthen the Agency and Resilience of Migrants, Refugees, and their Descendants?

Project Summary

This project aims to enhance our understanding of the continued labor market disadvantages of young immigrants, refugees, and their descendants by investigating processes leading to ethnic disadvantage in the labor market. We examine the conditions under which immigrants gain agency and move from being objects of discrimination and inequalities, related to education and the labor market, to successfully completing formal education and getting a job.

In our research, we look at which structural and individual dimensions or aspects affect eventual labor-market outcomes for disadvantaged immigrants and refugees. To document the ongoing discrimination of young immigrants, refugees, and children of labor migrants in Western European countries, we combine theories on cumulative discrimination and resilience. Protective factors on ethnic disadvantage that facilitate advancement in one life domain also facilitate advancement in others (such as labor market or formal education).

Scientific Poster 2022 (PDF)

Key Findings:

  • We find distinct patterns of resilience among pupils and young adults that help some overcome disadvantaged starting positions when transitioning into work.
  • Through small modifications to their CV, like adding diploma equivalents, some migrants and descendants actively counter expected discrimination.
  • Such disadvantage at work is a reality and draws on notions that migrants and their descendants somehow deserve being paid less.

Project-related scientific publications