Destination Manual Worker or Clerk? Ethnic Differences in the Transition from School to Work

Investigating the transition from education to employment among school leavers from different ethnic backgrounds, this paper focuses on the structural integration of ethnic minorities through the labour market. Distinguishing blue collar and white collar employment as destination states, proportional hazards models for competing risks are estimated on the basis of the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP). The results reveal that the factors influencing the transition to employment differ considerably depending on the type of employment. The study argues that a sole indicator of unemployment is insufficient to draw conclusions on the integration of ethnic minorities in the labour market.