title: Explaining the Muslim employment gap in Western Europe: individual-level effects and ethno-religious penalties.
abstract: It is well-documented that Muslims experience economic disadvantages in Western European labor markets. However, few studies comprehensively test individual-level explanations for the Muslim employment gap. Using data from the European Social Survey, this research note briefly examines the role of individual-level differences between Muslims and non-Muslims in mediating employment differences. Results reveal that human capital, migration background, religiosity, cultural values, and perceptions of discrimination jointly account for about 40% of the employment variance between Muslims and non-Muslims. Model specifications for first- and second-generation Muslim immigrants reveal a similar pattern, with migration background and perceived discrimination being of key relevance in mediating employment difference. While individual-level effects are indeed relevant, unexplained variance suggests that symbolic boundaries against Islam may still translate into tangible ethno-religious penalties.
authors.affiliation: Pew Research Center, United States. Electronic address: pconnor@pewresearch.org.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.affiliation: Göttingen University & Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Germany. Electronic address: mkoenig@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koenig
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004651:Employment; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012067:Religion; D066270:Social Capital; D063508:Social Discrimination; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work
keywords: Economic integration; Employment; Europe; Immigration; Muslims; Religion