The poverty risk of East and South-East Asian migrant households in Germany: The role of human capital, employment, and intermarriage

Tobias Wolbring, Eva Köhler and Eric Fong
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Tobias Wolbring: Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China ; Chair of Empirical Economic Sociology, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany
Eva Köhler: Chair of Empirical Economic Sociology, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany ; Integration Department, DeZIM, Berlin, Germany
Eric Fong: Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China

Journal for Labour Market Research, 2025, vol. 59, Article 21

Abstract: "Poverty is on the rise in Germany. Though there are studies on immigrant earnings and poverty in Germany as separate topics, Little attention has been paid to determining the factors that contribute to the poverty of immigrant households. In this paper we focus on the socioeconomic situation of Asian households in Germany. Using a 1% sample of the population in Germany – the German Microcensus Scientific Use File for2012 to 2019 – we document the patterns of household poverty for households shared by at least one immigrant from East and South-East Asia. As compared to migrants from Vietnam, households with immigrants from other Asian countries have a markedly lower poverty rate. Furthermore, our results show support for the hypotheses developed from the equal earner model, but not from the breadwinner model. In particular, our analysis underlines the role of female employment for hedging poverty risks. In addition, intermarriage with native partners and their domestic human capital endowments play an important role for individual poverty risks of immigrants from East and South-East Asia. Implications of the findings are discussed, in particular in relation to educational attainment, dual-earner households, and female labor market participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Keywords: Bundesrepublik Deutschland; China; Japan; Mongolei; Ostasien; Philippinen; Südkorea; Südostasien; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam; Armut; ausländische Frauen; Auswirkungen; berufliche Integration; ausländische Männer; Bildungsabschluss; Ehepartner; Eheschließung; Einwanderer; Erwerbsbeteiligung; geschlechtsspezifische Faktoren; Herkunftsland; Inländer; internationaler Vergleich; Risiko; soziale Integration; soziales Netzwerk; 2012-2019 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J15 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-09-22
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DOI: 10.1186/s12651-025-00408-y

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