Workplace Concentration of Immigrants

Fredrik Andersson, Mónica García-Pérez, John Haltiwanger, Kristin McCue and Seth Sanders

No 16544, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: To what extent do immigrants and the native-born work in separate workplaces? Do worker and firm characteristics explain the degree of workplace concentration? We explore these questions using a matched employer-employee database that extensively covers employers in selected MSAs. We find that immigrants are much more likely to have immigrant coworkers than are natives, and are particularly likely to work with their compatriots. We find much higher levels of concentration for small businesses than for large ones, that concentration varies substantially across industries, and that concentration is particularly high among immigrants with limited English skills. We also find evidence that neighborhood job networks are strongly positively associated with concentration. The effects of networks and language remain strong when type is defined by country of origin rather than simply immigrant status. The importance of these factors varies by immigrant country of origin--for example, not speaking English well has a particularly strong association with concentration for immigrants from Asian countries. Controlling for differences across MSAs, we find that observable employer and employee characteristics account for almost half of the difference between immigrants and natives in the likelihood of having immigrant coworkers, with differences in industry, residential segregation and English speaking skills being the most important factors.

JEL-codes: J61 L22 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-11
Note: EFG LS PR
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published as Fredrik Andersson & Mónica García-Pérez & John Haltiwanger & Kristin McCue & Seth Sanders, 2014. "Workplace Concentration of Immigrants," Demography, Springer, vol. 51(6), pages 2281-2306, December.

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Related works:
Journal Article: Workplace Concentration of Immigrants (2014)
Working Paper: Workplace Concentration of Immigrants (2011)
Working Paper: Workplace Concentration of Immigrants (2011)
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