Abstract:
The present article investigates the interplay of tied migration, job quality, and subjective well-being. When partnered individuals move to a different country, one partner is often the driving force behind the migration, while the other might not have migrated if they had been single. The latter person, the so-called tied migrant, often faces considerable disadvantages after the move. In this context, this study investigates the effect of tied migration on job satisfaction and the extent to which this possible association might be explained by overeducation. Using the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS) with an analytical sample of 1,264 individuals, we estimate RE and FE models. We find a higher risk of overeducation as well as lower job satisfaction among tied migrants. However, results provide only little support that the lower job satisfaction among tied migrants works through a higher probability of overeducation. Considering different patterns over time, we find that lead migrants’ job satisfaction decreases faster than tied migrants’ job satisfaction. These results provide important insights into within-couple inequalities in the context of international migration from a privileged origin country, emphasizing the importance to consider both objective and subjective labour market outcomes.
