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New Research Examines the Experiences of Immigrants in the Irish Labour Market

10/09/2008

The findings are mainly based on new analysis of the CSO's Quarterly National Household Survey: Equality Module (collected in the 4th quarter 2004), which asked adults in Ireland about their experience of discrimination and collected a wide range of information about their labour market behaviour.  The survey also collected information on nationality and ethnicity, so we can compare immigrant groups by national and ethnic origin.  It allows us to analyse both objective labour market outcomes, such as employment and unemployment, as well as subjective experience of discrimination in looking for work and in the workplace. The report is a joint publication of the ESRI and the Equality Authority.

Employment and Occupation
The study finds a much higher risk of unemployment for all migrants from non-English speaking countries, compared to Irish nationals.  This is particularly marked among Black respondents, who are nine times more likely than Irish nationals to be unemployed.

Non-Irish nationals are also less likely than Irish nationals to secure the most privileged occupations - managerial and professional jobs.  Language skills are important to occupational attainment: immigrants from non-English speaking countries are more likely to suffer this occupational gap, and the size of the occupational gap is roughly equivalent across different ethnic groups from non-English speaking countries.

Experience of Discrimination
Non-Irish nationals are three times more likely to report that they have experienced discrimination while looking for work than non-Irish nationals. Black respondents are seven times more likely to report having experienced such discrimination. 

In the workplace, non-Irish nationals are twice as likely to report experiencing discrimination as Irish nationals. Language is also important in the workplace: White respondents from English speaking countries are no more likely to report discrimination at work than Irish nationals, but immigrants from non-English speaking countries are more likely to report discrimination. Within this group (of immigrants from non-English speaking countries) there is little difference between White respondents and members of the minority ethnic sample in their experience of discrimination in the workplace.

Philip O’Connell, Head of Social Research at the ESRI notes that "the overall picture shows that immigrants, considered as a group, fare less well than Irish nationals in the Irish labour market: they are more likely to suffer unemployment and less likely to secure higher level occupations. These labour market disparities may be due to a range of factors, including familiarity with local employment markets and networks, and transferability of qualifications and skills. However, we also find that non-Irish nationals are much more likely than Irish nationals to report having experienced discrimination."

Niall Crowley, Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority stated "this report provides a valuable and timely baseline picture of the labour market experiences of migrant workers. It should serve as a basis from which to monitor and respond to this experience. This is particularly important as we move into more turbulent economic circumstances. The evidence on the labour market disadvantage experienced by migrant workers presented in this report presents a challenge to employers, labour market programme providers and policy makers. New labour market programmes are required to meet the needs of refugees in particular after long periods in direct provision. Further investment is needed to address English language deficits in the workplace. New initiatives need to be developed to ensure migrants are aware of their rights under equality legislation and are enabled to access these rights".

Notes for editors:
(1) Immigrants at Work: Ethnicity and Nationality in the Irish Labour Market, by ESRI researchers Dr Philip J O’Connell and Dr Frances McGinnity. The report is a joint publication of the Equality Authority and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), and will be available to download from the ESRI website at www.esri.ie on publication.
(2) The statistical analysis is based on The Quarterly National Household Survey: Equality Module, carried out by the Central Statistics Office. It consists of a nationally representative sample of 24,600 adults in Ireland interviewed in September to November 2004.
(3) The current report is the third in a series of research projects carried out as part of the Equality Authority/ESRI Research Programme on Equality and Discrimination, for details of other projects in the programme, see www.esri.ie.

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