Mobile Europe - Immigrants from Southern Europe between arrival and return
Whereas Southern European states currently face high levels of unemployment, Germany shows a comparatively low unemployment rate and is even experiencing a shortage of skilled workers for MINT-jobs and in health services. Accordingly, there is an increase in migration of skilled people from Greece, Italy and Spain to Germany, facilitated by EU regulations of free movement of labor within EU member states. Moving to Germany mostly origins in the hope of Spaniard, Greeks and Italians to find a (better) job in Germany and increase the quality of life, and it is supported by the German Government in the hope of coping with the local labor shortages.
When it comes to actual labor market integration, the reality however seems to be sobering: Compared to Germans, foreign people in Germany face higher risk of unemployment and underemployment- precarious job situations that in fact result in a decrease of well-being and health. Additionally current results of OECD (2013) show, that 50% of the Greeks and 60% of the Italians as well as two of three Spaniards leave Germany within the first 12 month - raising questions about the potential of current inner European migration to permanently meet our demand for labor force. Furthermore, questions arise about the predictors of successful integration of current migrants in the German labor market as well as predictors of their health and return intentions.
Within the field of Occupational Health Psychology my dissertation aims to:
- Combine and adapt classic theories of acculturation, motivation, stress and resources in order to create a theoretical framework that applies to current inner European migration from Southern European states to Germany.
- Clarify the relationship between professional success, mental health and return intentions of skilled migrants from Italy, Spain and Greece in Germany.
- Examine the power of personal resources- e.g. optimism, meaning making and cultural effectiveness- as predictors of professional success, mental health and return intentions.
- Deduce proposals and criteria for the developing of measures that support skilled migrants before and after their arrival and increase their health and occupational success.
Based on about 20 qualitative interviews, an online survey with a follow-up-examination after 6 month will be conducted. The survey- to be completed by approximately 200 persons from each of the relevant southern European countries- will be used to calculate correlation and context analyses with the aim to confirm and refine the hypothesized research model.
Building further on the results of this online survey a second study with seven monthly online questionnaires shall be conducted with about 80 Italian, Spanish or Greek immigrants from their immediate arrival in Germany through their first six months here. Data of this long-term experience sampling will enable to measure changes in the independent and dependent variables of the research model "in real-time" and investigate the causal effects of personal resources on professional success, mental health and return intentions.