Who gets in? A sub-national comparative study of immigrant integration in British Columbia and Bavaria

Successful integration of immigrants into the labour market is not only crucial for maintaining immigrants’ livelihood, but more generally to secure social cohesion and a sense of belonging. Recent research in this area has provided a broad theory base for categorizing countries according to their integration approach. While this study builds on these findings, the focus lies on investigating labour market participation of immigrants on the sub-national level. Specifically, this study investigates settlement outcomes in British Columbia, Canada, and Bavaria, Germany. The results indicate similar participation rates of immigrants in British Columbia with the exception of income levels. Immigrants in Bavaria, however, lag behind in all areas of labour market integration vis-à-vis the non-immigrant population. The key for understanding these different developments is found in the larger context of the host countries’ experience with previous immigration, integration policies and the institutions of the labour market as well as immigrants’ background.