New Immigrants in France – Fare badly in the first few years, but improvement over time finds research

This report assesses the labor market outcomes of new immigrants to France, based on French Labor Force survey data. The report is part of a series of six case studies on labor market outcomes among immigrants to European Union countries.

The report reveals that immigrants who arrived from 2000 onwards fared badly in the first few years after arrival, but improved their labor market outcomes over time. One year after arrival, approximately half of immigrants were active in the labor market, but after nine years in France, their activity rates almost equaled those of native workers. However, their employment rates were more than 10 percentage points lower than native workers in 2011, providing evidence of some persistent structural obstacles to labor market success.

The analysis finds that migrants’ region of origin, level of education, reason for migration, and gender are among the factors that correlate with labor market outcomes. For example, in 2009-11, new immigrants from North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa tended to cluster in low-skilled activities across most sectors of employment; overqualification—having higher credentials than are required for the job—is widespread among this group. In addition, economic conditions also shaped employment outcomes, with longer-standing migrants more insulated from the recession.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Slow Motion: The Labor Market Integration of New Immigrants in France | migrationpolicy.org.

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