We study whether the acquisition of host country human capital, such as obtaining equivalent qualifications, good language skills, or naturalization, explains differences in labor market integration between migrants depending on their initial motivation. We use cross-national European data from the 2008 ad hoc module of the Labour Force Survey to analyze migrant gaps in labor market participation, employment, occupational status, and precarious employment. We find that different rates of and returns to host country human capital explain a substantial part of the improvements in labor market outcomes with years of residence, particularly for noneconomic migrants who experience faster growth on average.
Is Wage Rate Dispersion a Good Index of Labor Market Integration? A Comment on Rothenberg
