Does government matter? The impact of occupational retraining, gender and ethnicity on immigrants’ incorporation

Abstract

Purpose

Aims to examine the effect of government intervention programs in improving the occupational opportunities of new immigrants as self‐employed entrepreneurs or salaried employees, and to determine the effect, if any, of gender and ethnicity.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the effects of two major types of government programs – retraining courses and support for business creation – a sample of 1,195 immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel were interviewed in depth on two different occasions.

Findings

The findings indicate that the impact of both government programs was more pronounced for women immigrants and immigrants from the Asian republics.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses only on two government programs in one country – Israel.

Practical implications

In terms of immigrant incorporation into a society, government programs matter and matter more for disadvantaged groups. Participation in these programs helps diminish any gaps created by market forces.

Originality/value

This study adds to the immigration literature on state intervention by assessing the contribution of government programs and intervention to immigrants’ occupational incorporation.

Citation

Lerner, M., Menahem, G. and Hisrich, R.D. (2005), "Does government matter? The impact of occupational retraining, gender and ethnicity on immigrants’ incorporation", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 192-210. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000510594601