This recently published study investigates migrants and their descendants’ likelihood of being employed in Belgium, revealing that second-generation migrants often continue to face difficulties in accessing the labour market. First-generation migrants tended to experience a notable employment ‘penalty’ as they were 36% less likely to enter employment compared to the local population.

Second-generation migrants of Maghreb origin, in particular, retained the same low chances of employment as their parents. "The fact that the second generation does not do better than the first is specific to Belgium," Céline Piton, economist and co-author of the study noted for Le Soir.   

The study uses a dataset derived from the merging of available 2008 and 2014 labour force databases, looking at different populations, including first- and second-generation third-country and EU migrants, as well as members of the host community with Belgian-born parents.

Compared to the latter, migrants and refugees had an employment rate 22% lower. That rate became 36% lower for migrants from the Middle East, and up to 40% lower in the case of refugees. In addition, while the employment situation of second-generation migrants with only one foreign-born parent appeared to be fairly good, descendants of two non-EU-born migrants faced difficulties.

In general, education substantially improved access to the labour market in the case of second-generation migrants, but did not make such a palpable difference in the employment rates of first-generation migrants. Women of all groups also appeared to have fewer chances to access employment, also due to additional factors such as lack of access to childcare.

In conclusion, the study calls for concrete measures to assist labour integration, including:

• the recognition of foreign diplomas
• simplifying administrative procedures for obtaining residence and work permits
• access to childcare
• enhancing language skills
• training and support in job search
• anti-discrimination measures

The study ‘Working paper research January 2020 N°381: The heterogeneous employment outcomes of first- and second-generation immigrants in Belgium’ has been carried out with financial support from the National Bank of Belgium.