Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series Database (1984 - 2010)

Melbourne Institute Working Paper No. 21/2009

Does Labour Market Achievement Matter for the Wellbeing of Australian Immigrants? Culture and Gender Differences

by

Weiping Kostenko

Date: July 2009

Abstract: This study explores the Australian immigrants job-life relationship by simultaneously estimating a bivariate ordered probit random effects panel model. We found that discrepancy between career goal and employment reality plays a central role. The study also explores the characteristics related to immigrants who are likely to have stronger job concerns. Non-western male immigrants are among them. They are more disadvantaged in the labour market and have lower life satisfaction compared to their Western counterparts, while these situations improve with duration in Australia. Also, immigration age is found crucial for this adjustment process. For female immigrants, the results suggest that the well-educated female migrants subjective wellbeing is impeded by struggling over work-family balance.

 

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