Understanding the Native–Immigrant Wage Gap Using Matched Employer-Employee Data

Abstract

In this article, the author proposes a new method for measuring wage discrimination that builds on the methodology first developed by Hellerstein and Neumark (1999). The author’s method has three main advantages: It is robust to labor market segregation, it does not impose linearity on the wage-setting equation, and it is not only a test for discrimination but also produces a measure of discrimination. Using matched employer-employee data from Germany, the author finds that immigrants are being discriminated against. They receive wages that are 13% lower than native workers in the same firm.