Rachael Kei Kawasaki (p)

Richárd Farkas

Many critics of immigration argue that immigrants fail to integrate, forming parallel societies. Conversely, in areas with more negative attitudes, immigrants may face greater social exclusion, limiting their opportunities in the labor market, housing, and social life. While previous research has examined the determinants of attitudes and the drivers of integration separately, little quantitative work has explored how these factors interact—whether integration fosters more positive attitudes or whether negative attitudes hinder integration.
This paper addresses this gap by investigating whether people in areas with more integrated immigrants develop more positive attitudes toward immigration over time. Using panel data from the British Election Study and longitudinal data from Understanding Society, it employs a hybrid three-level multilevel model to disentangle the effects of individual characteristics, local area context, and immigrant integration on attitudes. By doing so, this study aims to determine whether and to what extent immigrant integration influences public attitudes. These findings will offer empirical evidence on whether fostering integration can reduce anti-immigrant sentiment, informing policies that promote social cohesion and counteract social divisions.

Richárd Farkas (p), Wencelaus Musyoka Muthama, Zoltán Gál

Chen Sharony

This study, employing spatial econometric analysis, uncovers the intricate interplay between financial inclusion and regional financial health. While financial inclusion is pivotal, other household characteristics and regional economic factors also influence significantly. The results underscore the need for tailored policies and interventions for regional economic development and financial health, highlighting spatial dependence. Importantly, this research provides practical insights that can inform policymakers' decisions and guide researchers' work. It contributes to the global dialogue on sustainable financial health, aligns with broader financial inclusion objectives, and supports sustainable development goals.

Lihi Lahat, Chen Sharony (p), Jessica Sowa

Arnstein Gjestland

How workers are treated in the workplace remains a critical concern, with governments often expected to set standards for equitable treatment. While equity in public administration has gained prominence in literature and practice, comparative research on discrimination between public and non-public sectors across countries remains limited. This study investigates perceptions of discrimination among public and non-public sector employees across European countries, addressing this research gap through three key questions: (1) Are there differences in how public and non-public sector employees perceive discrimination? (2) What factors influence perceptions of various types of discrimination? (3) How do these factors vary across different countries?
Using data from the 2018 European Social Survey (N = 49,519), we conducted multilevel logistic regressions to account for individuals nested within countries. Our findings reveal that while sectoral differences in discrimination perceptions were not significant, country-level factors, administrative culture, and socio-demographic variables played substantial roles. This study contributes to the limited body of comparative research on sectoral differences in discrimination perceptions and provides a cross-national perspective on how administrative cultures influence these perceptions. The findings have important implications for both the theoretical understanding of workplace discrimination across sectors and for Human Resource Management practitioners working to create more equitable workplaces.

Karl-Gunnar Severinsen, Arnstein Gjestland (p), Inge Thorsen, Jan Ubøe

Rachael Kei Kawasaki

The aim of this paper is to examine the integration of refugees into local labor markets in Norway, with a specific focus on the time it takes for Ukrainian refugees to gain employment after arrival. Building on previous research, we utilize population register data of refugees aged 18-60 who arrived in Norway between 1992 and 2023 from Bosnia, Kosovo, Syria, and partially Ukraine. After some initial descriptive analysis, using survival and cumulative hazard functions, we employ Cox regression to estimate the duration until first employment. We introduce various measures of the local labor market situation as explanatory variables, such as job diversity, accessibility relative to alternative job locations, and the local job balance. In addition we discuss unobserved heterogeneity. Then, we analyze how the "hazard" of employment depends on these measures. Our aim is to understand how local labor market characteristics influence the integration process and predict and compare employment outcomes for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees based on historical data. Since the data for Ukrainian refugees is limited, we also utilize data covering the refugee groups mentioned above. Preliminary results indicate that Ukrainian refugees enter the labor market faster compared to previous groups. This conclusion is based on approximately 400 days of available data. Additionally, we estimate gender and age differences within the groups. The findings will contribute to the ongoing discussion on the effectiveness of dispersal policies and how integration systematically differs between rural and urban areas.