The Noneconomic and Economic Wellbeing of Immigrants

Questions relating to immigrant integration are centrally positioned in the migration literature. While researchers have long addressed such questions, a number of important gaps in the evidence remain. Scholars of immigration focus on two main dimensions of wellbeing in order to assess the integration of immigrants in the host society: economic (i.e. labor force participation, occupational attainment, and earnings) and noneconomic (i.e. physical and mental health, subjective wellbeing, life satisfaction). In terms of economic incorporation, it has been established that upon arrival at a host country, most immigrant groups must contend with lower incomes and employment rates in their new labor markets. The lower earnings of immigrants are attributed to skill disparities, lack of language proficiency, information gaps and discrimination. However, as immigrants spend more time in the host society, labor market outcomes tend to converge toward the levels enjoyed by natives. The long-term consequences of immigration for the economic wellbeing of immigrants and for the distribution of economic resources across different immigrant groups are yet insufficiently addressed in the literature.

In terms of noneconomic wellbeing, studies report that while immigrants tend to be less satisfied with their lives in countries of destinations than natives, in many cases they still report higher life satisfaction than their counterparts in their country of origin. Most of the research on the health subject reports that immigrants arrive healthier, but with increasing length of stay and generational status in the destination country, their health deteriorates. This phenomenon is addressed in the literature as the healthy immigrant effect. Upon arrival in the host country, immigrants tend to have comparatively better health profiles (in terms of mortality rate, chronic conditions, and mental health) than the native-born population, despite their lower socioeconomic status, experiences of discrimination, and reduced access to healthcare systems. However, over time and change in generational status, this health advantage frequently deteriorates, despite the relative improvement in socio-economic status. The reasons underlying the healthy immigrant effect remain a topic for vigorous research and debate.

This Research Topic engages these debates by exploring whether and to what extent the consequences of migration for economic and subjective wellbeing follow a similar pattern. Specifically, this Research Topic focuses on economic and health outcomes as well as subjective wellbeing and life satisfaction of immigrants. We welcome research that addresses questions around economic and non-economic wellbeing differences among individuals of different gender, ethnicity, religion, and motivations for migration (e.g., economic, political etc.) (although not restricted to):

• Immigrants’ social and health inequalities and their association with immigrants’ wellbeing
• Labor market inequalities and their association with immigrants’ wellbeing
• Differences in subjective wellbeing and life satisfaction
• Immigrants’ access to health care services and its impact on immigrants’ health and wellbeing

We particularly welcome comparative perspectives between different immigrant groups or across different countries and contexts, or also those that seek to connect different levels, such as macro and micro. This Research Topic seeks quantitative and qualitative studies.