The Role of Economic Threat in the Formation of Public Attitudes Towards Immigrants

The aim of this paper is to better understand the role of economic threat in the formation of public attitudes toward immigration. Research has identified realistic threat, particularly related to scarce economic resources, as one of the main drivers of ant-immigration sentiment (Quillian, 1995; Mayda, 2006; Billiet et al., 2014). Individuals in more vulnerable socio-economic positions are more likely to feel threatened by the presence of immigrants (Coenders et al., 2008). Lower levels of education have also been linked to ethnic prejudice as individuals with lower levels of education are more likely to be exposed to spells of unemployment (Hainmueller and Hiscox, 2007). Since the onset of the economic crisis public opinion in many European countries has become more hostile towards immigrants, particularly in those countries most affected by economic recession. This is generally assumed to be a consequence of economic threat, with greater competition for jobs and resources leading to a hardening in attitudes. However, not all individuals are affected equally by recession and by the presence of migrants. Many studies in this area have focused on attitudes at the individual level, using data from a variety of sources this paper investigates if those in sectors and occupations i) more exposed to economic uncertainty and ii) with greater representation of migrants can account for hardening attitudes towards immigration. This study contributes to the larger body of research on anti-immigration attitudes and contributes to a better understanding of economic threat in the formation of public attitudes towards immigrants.