Mapping job search patterns: A digital diary study of native and migrant-origin workers in the Netherlands

Migrant-origin workers in Western countries face persistent hiring discrimination, as proven by multiple field experiments with fictitious applicants.  However, the literature has implicitly treated job seekers as passive labour market agents, failing to account for applicants' strategies to avoid discrimination, their persistence in the process of job search, or their reactions and strategies to deal with rejections. We aim to address these gaps by examining the job search process of both migrant-origin and native-origin workers from a dynamic and longitudinal perspective, focusing on job seekers' intensity, perseverance, reactions to negative job search events, and attributions of discrimination. For this purpose, we have developed and fielded a quasi-diary study among approximately 320 job seekers in the Netherlands, who completed up to three weekly surveys during a period of five weeks. Data were collected on job search methods, application outcomes, perceived discrimination, identity management strategies, well-being and perceived employability, among other outcomes. This granular approach captures how job seekers may adjust their goals and strategies in response to negative job search outcomes. In this short presentation, we show the first insights of our study, assess the validity of our instrument to capture job search experiences, and provide fresh analyses into how migrants and natives search and apply for jobs. The study contributes to unveiling a relevant but still hidden aspect of migrant-native inequalities in the labour market.

The Mittelbaukollowuium is a weekly Wednesday colloquium for doctoral students and postdocs at the MZES organized by the staff representatives. It also serves as a venue for our visiting fellows to present their research. If you have any questions about the Kolloquium, feel free to get in touch with Oliver Rittmann.