Not Just a Work Permit: EU Citizenship and the Consumption Behavior of Documented and Undocumented Immigrants

Effrosyni Adamopoulou and Ezgi Kaya

No E2019/16, Cardiff Economics Working Papers from Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section

Abstract: This paper explores the impact of the 2007 European Union enlargement on the consumption behavior of immigrant households. Using data from a unique Italian survey and a difference-in-differences approach, we find that the enlargement induced a significant consumption increase for the immigrant households from new member states both in the short- and in the medium-run. This enlargement effect cannot be attributed to the mere legalization as it concerns both undocumented and documented immigrants, albeit through different channels. Detailed information on immigrants' legal status (undocumented/documented) and sector of employment (informal/formal) allows us to shed light on the exact mechanisms. Following the enlargement, previously undocumented immigrants experienced an increase in the labor income by moving from the informal towards the formal economy, whereas immigrants who were already working legally in Italy benefitted from the increased probability of getting a permanent contract. Enhanced employment stability in turn reduced the uncertainty about future labor income leading to an increase in documented immigrants' consumption expenditure.

Keywords: consumption; citizenship; informality; (un)documented immigrants; work permit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D12 E21 F22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 66 pages
Date: 2019-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-iue and nep-mac
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Not just a work permit: EU citizenship and the consumption behaviour of documented and undocumented immigrants (2020)
Working Paper: Not Just a Work Permit: EU Citizenship and the Consumption Behavior of Documented and Undocumented Immigrants (2019)
Working Paper: Not Just a Work Permit: EU Citizenship and the Consumption Behavior of Documented and Undocumented Immigrants (2019)
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