Journal Article

English deficiency and the native–immigrant wage gap

Publication details

Publication date
Published in
Economics Letters
Volume
118
Pages
pp. 38–41
Publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
1651765

Summary

Abstract
Using the interaction of language of country of birth and age-at-arrival as instruments, we find strong evidence of a causal effect of English as Additional Language (EAL) on the native–immigrant wage gap for male employees in the UK.
Highlights

► We analyse the native–immigrant wage gap for male employees in the UK. ► We control for age, region of residence, educational attainment and ethnicity. ► English as Additional Language explains most of the composition-adjusted wage gap. ► EAL instrumented by interaction of language of country of birth and age-at-arrival. ► Causal effect of EAL on native–immigrant wage gap robust to various specifications.

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