Immigrants in the Labour Market: Transnationalism and Segmentation

Various theories speak towards the labour market segmentation of an immigrant workforce. Theoretical frameworks such as Dual Labour Market Theory or Hierarchy Theory provide some value in outlining why immigrants are often found in the least desirable forms of employment. However, most theories do not consider the phenomenon of immigrant transnationalism and how forces at multiple scales shape labour market trajectories. In this paper we argue that traditional theories primarly consider socioeconomic factors in destination countries, and focus on factors at the local or national scale of analysis. In contrast, the literature on transnationalism illustrates how socioeconomic processes that operate at the global scale also influence the employment trajectories of immigrants. The integration of transnationalism with traditional labour market theories therefore provides a more complete picture when trying to understand the segmentation of an immigrant workforce.