The Economic Outcomes of an Ethnic Minority: The Role of Barriers

Nitsa Kaliner Kasir () and Eran Yashiv ()
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Nitsa Kaliner Kasir: Haredi Institute for Policy Studies
Eran Yashiv: Tel Aviv University

No 13120, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: The Arab population in Israel constitutes an ethnic minority, at around 20% of the population. The economy of this minority is characterized by inferior outcomes relative to the Jewish majority by all indicators, including employment, wages, occupational status, social welfare, education, and housing. This paper reviews key data facts and presents a model of barriers to integration facing Arabs in Israel, taking it to the data. The empirical analysis, based on a general equilibrium model of occupational choice with optimizing agents and barriers, points to an increase over time in barriers to the acquisition of human capital in highly skilled occupations, and, concurrently, a reduction in labor market barriers in all occupations. The analysis offers insights relevant to other developed economies with large ethnic minorities.

Keywords: ethnic minority; economic outcomes; human capital barriers; labor market barriers; occupational choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J15 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2020-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara, nep-dge, nep-lab and nep-ure
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