ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH IN THE LABOR MARKETS OF EUROPE

Suzanne ModelGene Fisher

Dept of Sociology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Presented at the Spring meeting of Research Committee 28 of the ISA at Nijmegen, The Netherlands on May 14, 2006

Research Questions

Why are exclusionary sentiments rising in Europe?New examination to enter Holland.

Why are Dutch celebrities being murdered for their intolerance?

Pim Fortuyn and Theo Van Gogh

Why are French (and British) ethnic minorities rioting? October 2005, vandalism outburst

Theoretical Answers

Deprivation Accounts:Ethnic conflict occurs because a group perceives itself as disadvantaged because other groups discriminate

against it.

Competition AccountsEthnic conflict occurs because of competition over

employment or over the rewards of employment.

Hypotheses● 1. Those ethnic groups that are engaging in

violence do so because they are deprived.– Discrimination prevents them from accessing the

economic, residential, and political outcomes that dominant members enjoy.

● 2. Ethnic conflict is occurring because of intergroup competition.– Ethnic competition is occurring because the number

of job opportunities cannot keep pace with the growth of ethnic minority job seekers.

– Ethnic minorities are entering occupations previously reserved for higher status groups.

DATA● 2 countries, Netherlands and France, (plan

to add England).● Subjects: males, age 16-25● Sources:

– Netherlands: SPVA France: Labor Force Survey ● Years

– Netherlands France● 1991* 1991● 1994* 1994● 1998* 1997● 2002 2003*

● * used in multivariate analyses

ETHNIC GROUPS● Comparison group:

– Netherlands France

– 1.Native born Dutch of 1. Native born French of

– native born parents native born parents● Minority groups

– 2. Turks 2. Maghrebis*

– 3. Moroccans 3. Southern Europeans

– 4. Black Caribbeans 4. Black Africans● Remaining ethnic groups excluded from tables

and discussion.

Outcomes● 1. Deprivation Index = Idle + Unemployed.

– Combines Idle, not in school and not in labor force

– And Unemployed, in labor force but no job.● 2. Occupational Prestige: isei● 3. Hourly earnings

– Not reported here, results similar to isei results.● 4. Location index: Proportion of a group in work

divided by proportion of that group in the working population.

Method of Analysis● 1. Test of deprivation comparing outcome

measures of ethnic minorities and dominant groups

● 2. Test for discrimination by comparing outcome measures of ethnic minorities and dominant groups adjusted for qualifications.

● 3. Examine trends in population, employment, and occupational distribution, for evidence of ethnic competition.

Unadj. Deprivation Indexes: Holland

Year NB Dutch Turk Moroc. Black

1991 35.5 41.0 45.0 54.5

1994 11.1 27.5 26.2 27.2

1998 10.2 26.4 26.0 17.6

2002 10.2 24.0 22.3 22.5

Unadj. Deprivation Indexes: France

Year Souche SE Europ Maghreb Black

1991 10.5 8.5 21.0 12.7

1994 11.8 18.7 19.7 18.1

1997 10.5 13.3 20.7 23.0

2003 14.2 11.7 28.4 26.6

Adj. Discrimination Indexes: Holland

Year NB Dutch Turk Moroc. Black

1991 35.5 30.2 27.3 39.0

1994 11.1 23.14 8.66 10.8

1998 10.2 26.0 24.9 12.7

2002 NA NA NA NA

Deprivation Indexes: France, 2003

Souche SE Europ Maghreb Black

Un-adjusted

12.4 13.1 25.3* 28.7*

Adjusted

12.4 11.6 19.51* 19.11*

Occupational Status, Holland

1998 NB Dutch Turk Moroc. Black

Un-adjusted

38.1 33.3* 33.0* 38.7

Adjusted

38.1 37.7 37.2 40.5

Occupational Status, France

2003 Souche SE Europ Maghreb Black

Un-adjusted

37.8 35.1* 38.1 38.7

Adjusted

37.8 35.8 37.7 35.1

Job Market Share Changes, France

1991-2003 (%)

Souche SE Europ Maghreb Black

1991 Pop. 74.7 5.83 3.95 3.24

Pop. change

-5.2 -13.2 +73.7 +61.1

Job share change

-4.2 -11.9 +69.2 +54.9

Location change

+1.0 +1.6 -2.6 -3.9

Conclusion● 1. Evidence of Deprivation

– Greater in France than Holland● France is trending up, Holland is trending down

– Occ. Status, in Holland only.● 2. Evidence of Discrimination

– Results the same for Holland; slight attenuation for France.– Occ. Status, none.

● 3. Evidence of Competition:– Job growth lags behind minority population growth.

● 4. Structural reasons indicate that disadvantage is greater in France than in Holland, making conditions there conducive to ethnic conflict.