oa Arbeidsmobiliteit van allochtonen - Een analyse van de evolutie in het beroepsprestige en het loon van allochtone en autochtone mannen en vrouwen in de eerste jaren van hun beroepsloopbaan

Labour market mobility of non-natives .

An analysis of the change in occupational prestige and wages of non-native and native men and women in the first years of their labour market career .

In this contribution we focus on the transition between the first job and the ensuing labour market position of people from a migrant descent in Flanders (Belgium). Previous research showed that second generation migrants perform more poorly than natives when entering the labour market. We compare how native and non-native youngsters make the transition from their first to later jobs at the start of their career. Both native and migrant young adults experience social mobility. On average, both groups acquire higher occupational prestige and higher wages as their career develops. While native and non-native men perform equally well in terms of the wage mobility, non-native women do worse. With regard to occupational prestige, the gap between native and migrant youth narrows over the course of their careers. In general however, the future career is largely determined by the characteristics of the first job. This first job offers less prestige and smaller wages for non-natives compared to that of natives.