Descriptive Summary:

Skill gaps between natives and immigrants in Europe: new evidence from two PIAAC cycles

How persistent are skill gaps between immigrants and natives in Europe – and are they narrowing across generations? This new Link4Skills working paper analyses literacy and numeracy outcomes across eight European destination countries using data from both Cycle 1 (2011–12) and Cycle 2 (2022–23) of the OECD’s PIAAC survey.

The study confirms a measurable immigrant disadvantage in foundational skills, particularly among first-generation migrants. However, it also finds evidence of convergence among second-generation immigrants, whose outcomes tend to move closer to those of natives. The size and direction of gaps vary by country, skill domain, educational background, and language proficiency.

By examining temporal change and generational dynamics together, the paper addresses an important research gap. Its findings contribute to a more precise understanding of how human capital is formed, transferred, and utilized – and provide evidence relevant to migration, education, and labour market policy across Europe.

Link to IIASA web publication (external)