Determinants of the increase in the qualification level among the foreigners in the IAB employment sample

Abstract

"In the theoretical literature on migration, there is a common hypothesis that, contrary to a generally declining migration trend, the migratory movements of higher qualified workers between the industrial nations has increased in the last ten years. The empirical studies conducted on this matter so far are, however, based only on stockrelated data sources and not on migration data sources. An increase in the qualification level among the foreign population in a country which is determined from such studies need not necessarily coincide therefore with an increased inflow of higher qualified foreigners. This could also be more the consequence of the increased number of second generation foreigners entering the labour market, of lower qualified foreigners leaving the labour market or of upwards mobility of the foreigners in employment. This article therefore presents a study which analyses the relationship between the development of the qualification level among the foreign working population and the development of the inflow of higher qualified people for Germany in the period from 1975 to 1990, using the IAB employment sample. It is first shown how the proportion of higher qualified people among all foreigners has developed in the period being observed. Then it is shown to what extent the individual factors have contributed to this development. The results of the study show that the increase in the qualification level which can be seen among the foreign working population in Germany was really primarily a direct or indirect consequence of the increased inflow of higher qualified foreigners. In contrast, no increase in the qualification level can be determined among the second generation foreigners entering the German labour market for the first time in the observation period." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Wolter, A. (1996): Determinanten des Qualifikationsanstiegs unter den Ausländern in der IAB-Beschäftigtenstichprobe. In: Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Vol. 29, No. 4, p. 616-629.