Berlin: Integrating Immigrants into Labor Market

14 percent of the US labor force are foreign-born. This number is higher than the population share.<br><br> The reason is that most immigrants are in prime working ages (25 - 54). It's widely accepted that integrating immigrants via work has several advantages:<br> - Gives migrants what most migrated for: jobs at higher wages<br> - Reduces anti-immigrant feelings arising from welfare usage<br> - Enlists employers as advocates for migrants and migration<br><br> However, disadvantages and apparent ramifications of the US labor market as the major integration instrument couldn't be ignored either:<br> - Immigrants have jobs, but often at low wages<br> - And many immigrant families are working poor; which means they lack health insurance etc<br><br> Correlating to the US the immigrants' share in the German labor market makes up about 5.2 percent. The challenges which Europe, Germany specifically, is facing seems different: essentially a high number of unemployment.<br><br> At the panel following issues will be discussed:<br> · Which are the prevailing conditions in the US and European, specifically German, labor markets for integrating immigrants? <br> · What are the mechanisms of integrating immigrants into the US and European/German labor markets?<br> · Which challenges do face immigrants in the US and European/German labor markets?<br><br> With:<br> <b>Prof. Phil Martin</b>, Guest Speaker<br> University of California, Davis, U.S.A.<br> <b>Dr. Dita Vogel</b>, Discussant<br> University of Oldenburg