How do immigrants spend their time? The process of assimilation

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Economics
• Demography

Background:

• Time use patterns reveal significant differences between immigrants and native-born populations.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for social and economic integration policies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze time allocation differences between immigrants and natives based on activity incidence and intensity.
• To investigate factors influencing immigrants' participation in daily activities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized recent U.S. data on time use, distinguishing between activity incidence (whether an activity is done) and intensity (time spent).
• Employed a model incorporating daily fixed costs for activity assimilation.
• Analyzed comparable data from Australia to validate findings.

Main Results:

• Immigrants are less likely than natives to undertake certain activities daily due to higher assimilation costs.
• When immigrants do participate in these activities, they tend to spend more time on them.
• Activities like purchasing, education, and market work align with the assimilation cost model.
• Poor English proficiency and origin from less developed countries correlate with higher assimilation costs for immigrants.

Conclusions:

• Immigrant time use patterns are shaped by assimilation costs, affecting both participation rates and duration.
• Policy interventions could focus on reducing these assimilation costs to improve immigrant integration.