Economic Assimilation for Immigrants in Chile: An Employment Convergence Analysis

• Main Author: Long, Emily C
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2016
• Subjects: Chile; immigration; economic assimilation; employment convergence; labor market convergence; Peruvian immigration; Econometrics; Economics; Growth and Development; Labor Economics; Latin American Languages and Societies
• Online Access: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/885; http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1848&context=scripps_theses

Blending migration studies and labor economics, this thesis explores the economic implications of immigrant assimilation in Chile by using probit models to test for employment convergence and labor market convergence between immigrant groups and native Chileans. Using census data from 1992 and 2002, we find significant differences in the employment and labor force participation rates for these demographic groups, affected by the immigrants’ gender, decade of arrival, and country of origin. We see evidence of the nascent care industry in Chile, as well as the implications of the Chilean visa system and employment contracts. Additionally, we see employment probabilities fall for all immigrants prior to the 1993-2002 cohort, due to differences in demographic characteristics and potentially due to labor market discrimination as well. Therefore, we recommend reevaluating and updating the existing Chilean migration legislation to adapt to changing trends, as well as further exploring the immigrant experience and their economic integration in Latin American countries specifically.