Educational Mismatch And Multidimensional Immigration Attitudes: Evidence From Europe

Abstract

This paper uses European Social Survey (ESS) Round 11 (2023/24) data to analyse how educational mismatch is associated with attitudes toward immigration among European employees. It measures overeducation and undereducation through a realized-match approach, comparing workers' educational attainment to the modal level within their specific country and occupation. The study distinguishes between two attitudinal dimensions:[1] support for restrictive admission policies and the perceived positive consequences of immigration. Regression models reveal that while tertiary-educated workers show more favourable views, the pattern associated with educational mismatch is more nuanced. Specifically, undereducated workers tend to perceive the consequences of immigration more negatively than overeducated individuals but are simultaneously less supportive of restrictive admission policies. These findings indicate that educational mismatch relates differently to distinct dimensions of immigration attitudes, qualifying the assumption that overeducated workers are uniformly more pro-immigration.