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Assimilation to a Welfare State: Labor Market Performance and Use of Social Benefits by Immigrants to Finland *
Author(s) -
Sarvimäki Matti
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the scandinavian journal of economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.725
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1467-9442
pISSN - 0347-0520
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9442.2011.01652.x
Subject(s) - immigration , earnings , welfare state , economics , welfare , labour economics , native born , demographic economics , political science , market economy , accounting , politics , law
This paper documents the economic performance of immigrants in a country characterized by an extensive welfare state and a short immigration history. Upon arrival, immigrants to Finland have substantially lower employment rates than comparable natives. While they experience rapid employment growth, only men from OECD countries catch up with natives. Despite the persisting employment and earnings differences between non‐OECD immigrants and natives, the differences in income transfers disappear in roughly 20 years. The immigrant–native employment gaps are larger in Finland than in Australia, Canada, or the US.