Cultural Identity And Job Satisfaction: Evidence From Immigrants In The Italian Labour Market

Abstract

This article examines how cultural identity is linked to job satisfaction among first-generation immigrants in Italy, a central dimension of migrant integration. Using the nationally representative SCIF 2011-2012 survey and an Ethnosizer-inspired multidimensional measure of cultural and ethnic identity, we estimate Heckman sample-selection ordered probit models for employment and job satisfaction. Results show a clear gradient: integrated and assimilated immigrants report similarly high job satisfaction, whereas separated and especially marginalised immigrants are less likely to be employed and, when employed, evaluate their[1] jobs more negatively. We find no evidence that a strong origin identity reduces job satisfaction, provided it is combined with strong identification with Italy, highlighting the benefits of dual identities. Gender-specific analyses indicate that penalties for separation and marginalisation are concentrated among men, while among women the main disadvantage concerns marginalised identities. The findings challenge assimilationist perspectives and underline the importance of job quality for immigrants’ subjective well-being.