A division of labour? Labour market segmentation by region of origin: the case of intra-EU migrants in the UK, Germany and Denmark

The 2004/2007 EU enlargements rendered CEE citizens legally equal to EU labour market participants. However, CEE migrants still face 'racialisation' and segmentation in North-Western European labour markets. Similar processes might extend to EU-South migrants, giving rise to a division of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethnic and migration studies 2019-11, Vol.45 (15), p.2820-2843
Main Authors: Felbo-Kolding, Jonas, Leschke, Janine, F. Spreckelsen, Thees
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accession
Central Eastern Europe
Citizen participation
Citizens
Comparative analysis
Division of labor
Economic integration
EU-South
EU-West
Inequality
Intra-EU migration
Labor force
Labor force participation
Labor market
Labor migration
labour market integration
Market segmentation
Migrant workers
Migrants
Migration patterns
Occupations
racialisation
Racialization
segmentation
Wage differential
wages
Wages & salaries
Welfare
welfare regimes
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Summary:The 2004/2007 EU enlargements rendered CEE citizens legally equal to EU labour market participants. However, CEE migrants still face 'racialisation' and segmentation in North-Western European labour markets. Similar processes might extend to EU-South migrants, giving rise to a division of labour, whereby CEE and EU-South migrants end up in poor-quality, low-pay jobs. We compare the labour market integration of recent intra-EU migrants (EU8, EU2, EU-South, EU-West/EEA) in the UK, Germany and Denmark. Using labour force, microcensus and register data, we model quantitative and qualitative integration through labour force participation and wages. We find no significant differences in labour force participation between nationals and migrants in the UK. Whilst in both Denmark and Germany, the labour force participation of EU-migrants is significantly lower. Notwithstanding differences in migration trends, labour markets and welfare regimes, we find evidence of a division of labour along occupational and industry lines − that translates into wage differences. EU-West/EEA migrants occupy better jobs (even outperforming nationals), followed by EU-South and CEE migrants. In Denmark and Germany, EU8 and EU2 migrants' wages are lower than those of nationals even after controlling for differences in occupations. These findings suggest that inequalities across the EU are reproduced rather than converging.
ISSN:1369-183X
1469-9451
DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2018.1518709