Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
July 15, 2026European Journal of Political ResearchOpen Access

Beyond skills: How occupational essentiality and social value relate to attitudes toward immigrant labor

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Authors

WAWilliam AllenMFMariña Fernández-ReinoIRI. Ruíz

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Randomized trial examines attitudes toward immigrant labor, highlighting the role of occupational essentiality and social value.

Key Points

  • This research explores how citizen attitudes toward immigrant labor are influenced by the essentiality and social value of occupations, beyond just skill level.
  • Conducted two studies in the UK: a preregistered conjoint survey experiment with N=4,951 during the pandemic and an online survey with N=1,944 in 2025.
  • Evaluated citizen preferences based on immigrant occupation, skill level, and perceived essentiality and social value.
  • Analyzed correlations between perceptions of occupational essentiality and preferences for admitting immigrants in those occupations.
  • Immigrants in essential occupations were preferred for admission by about 22 percentage points compared to those in nonessential jobs.
  • Those in essential roles were viewed as economically beneficial by about 10 percentage points more than nonessential workers.
  • Perceived occupational essentiality was stable over time and correlated with positive preferences for immigrant workers in those roles.

Cite This Study

Allen et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a57231a88b21df87547ff19https://doi.org/10.1017/s1475676526101492
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Occupational labor markets, skills, and immigration concerns: Panel data evidence for Germany2026
  2. 2Health across the “Skills Spectrum”: Occupational Skill, U.S. Citizenship Status, and the Immigrant Health Advantage2026
  3. 3The Impact of National Pride and Migrant Occupational Status on Attitudes Toward Settlement-Oriented Emigration: Evidence From a Survey Experiment in China2026
  4. 4Do Skills Protect from Prejudice? Occupational Status and Ethnic Penalties in British Immigration Preferences2026
  5. 5Skilled labour immigration: a vignette analysis on the willingness to accept migrants from outside the EU2025