Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/44156 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 5080
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Social networks are commonly understood to play a large role in the labor market success of immigrants. Using 2000 U.S. Census data, this paper examines whether access to native networks, as measured by marriage to a native, increases the probability of immigrant employment. We start by confirming in both least squares and instrumental variables frameworks that marriage to a native indeed increases immigrant employment rates. Next, we show that the returns to marrying a native are not likely to arise solely from legal status acquired through marriage or characteristics of native spouses. We then present several pieces of evidence suggesting that networks obtained through marriage play an important part in explaining the relationship between marriage decisions and employment.
Subjects: 
immigration
marriage
employment
networks
JEL: 
J61
J12
J21
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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