Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Carlo Dell'Aringa
Author-X-Name-First: Carlo
Author-X-Name-Last: Dell'Aringa
Author-Email: carlo.dellaringa@unicatt.it
Author-Workplace-Name: DISCE, Università Cattolica
Author-Name: Laura Pagani
Author-X-Name-First: Laura
Author-X-Name-Last: Pagani
Author-Email: laura.pagani@unimib.it
Author-Workplace-Name:Università Milano Bicocca
Title: Labour Market Assimilation and Over Education: The Case of Immigrant Workers in Italy
Abstract: In this paper we study the assimilation of immigrants into the Italian labour market using
over-education as an indicator of labour market performance. The main objective is to assess the
extent to which work experience in the host country’s labour market favours the international
transferability of immigrants’ human capital. Using data from the Istat Labour Force Survey
for the years 2005-2007, we find that foreigners are much more likely to be over-educated than
natives upon their arrival in Italy and that work experience gained in the country of origin is
not valued in the Italian labour market. Moreover, we find that not even experience acquired
in Italy is helpful in improving immigrants’ educational job matches, suggesting that catch-up
by foreigners seems unachievable, even after they adapt their skills to the host country labour
market.
Length: 25 pages
Creation-Date: 2010-01
File-URL: http://www.unicatt.it/Istituti/EconomiaImpresaLavoro/Quaderni/ieil0058.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
File-Function: First version, 2010
Number: ieil0058
Classification-JEL: F22, J24, J61 
Keywords: Assimilation, Over education
Handle: RePEc:ctc:serie4:ieil0058