Why Does Intermarriage Increase Immigrant Employment? The Role of Networks

Delia Furtado and Nikolaos Theodoropoulos

No 5080, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Social networks are commonly understood to play a large role in the labor market success of immigrants. Using 2000 U.S. Census data, this paper examines whether access to native networks, as measured by marriage to a native, increases the probability of immigrant employment. We start by confirming in both least squares and instrumental variables frameworks that marriage to a native indeed increases immigrant employment rates. Next, we show that the returns to marrying a native are not likely to arise solely from legal status acquired through marriage or characteristics of native spouses. We then present several pieces of evidence suggesting that networks obtained through marriage play an important part in explaining the relationship between marriage decisions and employment.

Keywords: employment; marriage; immigration; networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J21 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43 pages
Date: 2010-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab, nep-mig, nep-soc and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (42)

Published - published in: B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy: Topics in Economic Analysis and Policy, 2010, 10 (1), Article 101

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Journal Article: Why Does Intermarriage Increase Immigrant Employment? The Role of Networks (2010)
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