PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC SECTOR WAGE GAP: DOES ORIGIN MATTER?

摘要

The integration of immigrants and their children is a burning issue in France. Governments mainly build their integration policies on the labour market. The public sector is reputed to better assimilate minorities because of its entrance exams and pay scales. In this article, using a switching model, a comparison of the public and private sectors shows that second-generation immigrants are not treated equally in both sectors. A wage gap is observed between workers of French origin and those of Southern European origin. The wage differential between workers of French and North African origins is mostly explained by observable variables.