Research Julie Maes

Abstract

Women's labour market outcomes differ strongly by migration background. Addressing the underlying mechanisms for varying labour market outcomes is crucial as the successful labour market participation of the large share of migrant origin women is relevant at both the societal and individual level. While research among general populations highlights that women's employment trajectories are strongly interrelated with their family transitions such as union and family formation or union dissolution, little is known on work-family interlinkages among women with a migration background. Moreover, life course research has underlined that prior life course experiences and meso-level (e.g. informal care providers) and macro-level (e.g. accessibility of formal childcare) contexts influence the interplay between work and family trajectories. However, it has remained unexplored to what extent such path-dependencies and contextual factors shape employment trajectories among women with a migration background around key family transitions and entail diverging employment outcomes between origin groups and generations. By considering path-dependencies and contextual factors as life course mechanisms shaping employment trajectories around key family transitions, this project will provide new insights in our understanding of varying labour market outcomes by women's migration background.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Mortelmans Dimitri
• Fellow: Maes Julie

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Since 2013, the "Socio-economic Monitoring" has analysed the situation of individuals with a migration background in the Belgian society in general, and in the labour market in particular. As of 2024, these analyses will be extended to multiple disadvantaged groups (e.g.,gender, age, and disability). These monitoring reports indicate several explanatory factors (e.g., field of study, family situation, etc.). What is missing, however, is a comprehensive quantitative multifactor analysis of those various factors - integrated into a model in the spirit of the traditional Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition - that limit the labour market participation of disadvantaged groups. Such an analysis should approximate differences in employment rates, the nature of work, and wages as closely as possible and identify the factors that contribute most strongly to these differences. The result will provide a better understanding of possible additional factors that either hinder or promote access to (sustainable and qualitative) employment. The aim of this study is therefore to develop a detailed quantitative analysis of the factors contributing to differences in labour market participation and wage levels among 18-64-year-olds based on i) origin, ii) gender, iii) age, iv) education level, and v) disability. Besides analyses for the most recent period, we will also examine whether significant changes have occurred in these differences over the past 10 years and assess the extent to which the changing gap over time can be explained by shifts in the composition of different groups. Consequently, four objectives are central for each of these five groups: Understanding differences in employment, (long-term) unemployment, inactivity, and the nature of employment (e.g., wage, job stability, type of employment, type of status). - Understanding differences in employment, (long-term) unemployment, inactivity, and the nature of employment (e.g., wage, job stability, type of employment, type of status). - Understanding the extent to which differences between groups have changed over the past 10 years. - Estimating the extent to which differences can be explained by a broad set of individual characteristics, household characteristics, and work-related characteristics. - Understanding the factors that have contributed to convergences/divergences in labour market outcomes over time.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Maes Julie
• Co-promoter: Vujić Sunčica
• Co-promoter: Wood Jonas

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Imagine getting post-doc time from us. Post-doc time with the sole obligation to prepare a post-doc proposal to apply for – and ideally obtain - your own research grant. The Centre for Population, Family and Health of the University of Antwerp is launching a competition to attract talented PhDs in the Social Sciences who want to pursue their careers in our research centre. For this challenge, you will write a scientific essay describing a problem that urgently needs to be researched. The problem also needs academic attention from a European comparative perspective and touches on issues from social demography, family sociology and/or the sociology of disease and health. You document the problem with an empirical analysis, preferably in a comparative perspective. When elaborating the essay, you pay particular attention to issues of gender and/or social inequality. The winner's essay will be submitted to Population Europe for publication in their Pop Digest series.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Mortelmans Dimitri
• Co-promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Fellow: Maes Julie

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project