The Role of Source- and Host-Country Characteristics in Female Immigrant Labor Supply

Abstract

Using data from the European Social Survey (ESS) 2002-2011 covering immigrants in 26 European countries, this paper analyzes the impact of source- and host-country characteristics on female immigrant labor supply. We find that the labor supply of immigrant women in Europe is positively associated with the female-to-male labor force participation ratio in their source country, which serves as a proxy for the country's preferences and beliefs regarding women's roles. This suggests that the culture and norms of their source country play an important role for immigrant women's labor supply. We further find evidence for a strong positive correlation between the labor force participation ratio in the host country and female immigrant labor supply, suggesting that immigrant women assimilate to the work behavior of natives