Local-Level Immigration and Life Satisfaction: The EU Enlargement Experience in England and Wales

Artjoms Ivlevs () and Michail Veliziotis

No 9513, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: The 2004 European Union enlargement resulted in an unprecedented wave of 1.5 million workers relocating from Eastern Europe to the UK. We study how this migrant inflow affected life satisfaction of native residents in England and Wales. Combining the British Household Panel Survey with the Local Authority level administrative data from the Worker Registration Scheme, we find that higher local level immigration increased life satisfaction of young people and decreased life satisfaction of old people. This finding is driven by the initial 'migration shock' – inflows that occurred in the first two years after the enlargement. Looking at different life domains, we also find some evidence that, irrespective of age, higher local level immigration increased natives' satisfaction with their dwelling, partner and social life.

Keywords: United Kingdom; life satisfaction; immigration; 2004 EU enlargement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 I31 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29 pages
Date: 2015-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-hap, nep-lab and nep-mig
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published - published in: Environment and Planning A, 2018, 50 (1), 175-193

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Journal Article: Local-level immigration and life satisfaction: The EU enlargement experience in England and Wales (2018)
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