Occupational Selection In Multilingual Labor Markets (original) (raw)
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This paper investigates the economic value of Catal an knowledge for national and foreign firstand second-generation immigrants in Catalonia. Specifically, drawing on data from the “Survey on Living Conditions and H abits of the Catalan Population (2006)”, we want to quantify the expecte d earnings differential between individuals who are proficient in Catalan and those who are not, taking into account the potential endogeneity between knowledge of Catalan and earnings. The results indicate the existence of a positive return o knowledge of Catalan, with a 7.5% increase in earnings estimated by OLS; however , when we account for the presence of endogeneity, monthly earnings are aroun d 18% higher for individuals who are able to speak and write Catalan. However, w also find that language and education are complementary inputs for generating e arnings in Catalonia, given that knowledge of Catalan increases monthly earning s only for more educated individuals.
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International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2000
This paper analyzes employment and earnings differentials between Spanish speakers and English speakers in the United States, using data from the 1970, 1980, and 1990 U.S. censuses. The results show that Spanish speakers, both men and women, do not perform as well in the labor market as English speakers. The results also reveal that Spanish-English earnings and unemployment differentials increased slightly in the 1970s, most likely because of rapid growth in the number of Spanish speakers. By contrast, these differentials increased sharply in the 1980s, also a period of rapidly increasing supply. However, there is no evidence that the widening of differentials in the 1980s reflects an increase in the labor market rewards to English language proficiency. Rather, they appear to be the result of Spanish speakers having relatively little of those labor market characteristics, most notably education, whose market value increased dramatically during the 1980s.
Empirica, 2019
This article examines the relationship between foreign language skills and the employment status of natives in Germany, Italy and Spain. Using a probit model and data from Eurostat’s Adult Education Survey 2011, this article studies the conditional correlation between knowledge of English and French as foreign languages, and the probability of being employed, comparatively, for men and women. The results reveal that skills in English increase the probability of being employed for men in the three countries, respectively, by 3.4, 4.3 and 5.2%. Knowledge of English increases the probability of being employed for women in Germany and Italy—respectively, by 5.6 and 5.7%—but not in Spain. The results also show that very good skills are associated with a higher probability of being employed than sufficient or good skills. The conditional correlation between knowledge of English and employment status for men is larger in countries where skills in this language are less common among the pop...
Foreign languages for the labor market: an analysis on the role of compulsory education in Europe
Revista Internacional de Organizaciones, 2020
It is well known that proficiency in languages is important for the labor outcomes of natives, and the economic literature generally shows positive effects for those able to use multiple languages in the domestic labor market. In this context, compulsory education is likely to play an important role in identifying to what extent additional languages matter for the native workforce. Indeed, institutional education systems are often the main providers of individual skills in a country, including language skills, and compulsory education is reasonably unrelated to individual characteristics affecting choices of language acquisition. However, while some studies on co-official languages and labor in multilingual countries focus on compulsory schooling, it seems that no studies have yet been made on foreign languages and compulsory schooling. As a first step for future analyses on foreign languages and labor in Europe, in this paper I try to analyze whether compulsory education affects the foreign language proficiency of European adult natives. I find that being taught foreign languages during compulsory schooling has a positive effect of between 3 and 5 percent on the probability of knowing them.
EARNINGS AND LINGUISTIC PROFICIENCY IN A BILINGUAL ECONOMY
Manchester School, 2005
Bilingualism is a widespread phenomenon, yet its economic effects are under researched. Typically studies find that bilingual workers are disadvantaged. Governments often protect minority languages through official promotion of bilingualism, with potential economic consequences. This paper addresses the impact of bilingualism on earnings, using the example of Wales. Results show a positive raw differential of 8 to 10 per cent depending on definition of linguistic proficiency. The use of Welsh in the workplace is not directly productive. Nevertheless language choice and earnings appear to be endogenous. The differential can be entirely explained by a selection effect. This is consistent with the effectiveness of legislation to promote the minority language.
Foreign languages for the labor market: an analysis of the role of compulsory education in Europe
2019
It is well known that proficiency in languages is important for the labor outcomes of natives, and the economic literature generally shows positive effects for those able to use multiple languages in the domestic labor market. In this context, compulsory education is likely to play an important role in identifying to what extent additional languages matter for the native workforce. Indeed, institutional education systems are often the main providers of individual skills in a country, including language skills, and compulsory education is reasonably unrelated to individual characteristics affecting choices of language acquisition. However, while some studies on co-official languages and labor in multilingual countries focus on compulsory schooling, it seems that no studies have yet been made on foreign languages and compulsory schooling. As a first step for future analyses on foreign languages and labor in Europe, in this paper I try to analyze whether compulsory education affects the foreign language proficiency of European adult natives. I find that being taught foreign languages during compulsory schooling has a positive effect of between 3 and 5 percent on the probability of knowing them.