Economic Integration and Migrant Networks: The Case of Ukrainian Migrants in the Warsaw Agglomeration

Abstract

Abstract In the past years, Poland has been not only a country of (mass) immigration but also a country where foreigners have begun to play a much larger role in the domestic labour market than ever before. This makes the analyses of foreigners’ integration increasingly important both to understand the situation of immigrants in Poland and their impact on the national economy and social processes. In this context, this article aims to quantify one of the dimensions of the economic integration of immigrants. We look at the level of earnings as one of the indicators of their integration process. Additionally, we refer to the impact of social capital (in the form of migrant networks) on the economic situation of immigrants. We focus on immigrants from Ukraine—the most numerous group of foreigners in Poland. Based on a unique data set, we empirically identify the key dimensions that have an impact on their incomes, including gender, employment sector and legal status. We also point to the statistically significant effects of migrant networks on migrants’ earnings.