Matching immigrant and native workers: evidence from the recent downturn in Italy

This paper provides some empirical evidence about the supposed vulnerability of immigrants to the recent economic downturn, by using longitudinal data from the Italian Labour Force Survey. Immigrant workers always show a higher probability of ending an ongoing employment spell when compared to their native colleagues. However, their observable characteristics are more likely associated to higher separation rates, so that, when comparing similar workers, differences between immigrants and natives disappear, both before and after the downturn. The impact of the downturn is mostly related to observed characteristics, not to the immigrant status itself, and it is markedly different by gender. In 2009 job separations are increasing for all male workers, but the impact is stronger for immigrants, mainly because their characteristics are more likely to be hit by the downturn. On the contrary, both groups of female workers show a slightly lower probability of losing a job in 2009, so that observed differences remain the same before and after the downturn