Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/86395
Year of Publication: 
2004
Series/Report no.: 
Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper No. 04-027/3
Publisher: 
Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Abstract: 
Co-ethnic employment refers to the stylised fact of many labour markets that there is an over-representation of workers of the same ethnic group within firms. This paper presents empirical proof of the phenomenon and analyses the incentives for employees to work in co-ethnic firms. It argues that strong social networks and related high intra-group trust constitute the major reasons for co-ethnic employment by lowering information and co-ordination costs. In the short run, co-ethnic employment leads to more jobs for employees, easy access to labour for ethnic minority firms, strengthening of the group values and norms, and less unemployment and social security problems for society. In the long run, co-ethnic employment might form an obstacle to the social and economic emancipation of ethnic minority groups. It generates disincentives for individual group members to acquire general skills, hinders the development of ethnic minority firms, fosters the danger! of the ethnic trap and stimulates the emergence of an enclave economy.
Subjects: 
co-ethnic employment
social capital
trust
networks
JEL: 
J61
Z13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
397.24 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.