Ties that b(l)indthe role of social networks on labour trajectories

and post-work prospects of Filipino ageing migrants in Brescia, Italy

Jonnabelle Asis, Ph.D.University of Brescia, Italy

Italy as new immigration country

• Started late 1960s to 70s

• End of 1970s: oil crisis (restrictive migration policies in older destination countries) second-choice destination countries for North Africa, Asia, Latin America• 1977: agreement for labour import (Italy-Phils)• Role of Catholic Church• Chain migration: informal network

• Post-1989: inflows from Eastern European countries

• Series of regularizations

Filipinos in Italy

http://www.cfo.gov.ph/downloads/statistics/830-global-mapping-of-overseas-filipinos.html

As of 2013 (CFO): Permanent (89,742), Temporary (127,814), Irregular (54,390), TOTAL: 271,946Fifth largest migrant community after Morocco, Albania, China, Ukraine (Romania not included).

Why ageing non-EU migrants?

• Older or ‘later-life’ people have been excluded from the thinking and the literature on migration (King, 2014)

• Non-EU labour migrants (Warnes et al., 2004): aged in place, later-life migrants

• Ageing migrants: age 50 as cut-off due to lower life expectation

• Italy: 16.5% of foreigners are aged 50 and above (BS: 15.4%)

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H IGHLY QUA LIF IED PROFESS IONS

PROFESS IONS IN THE EXECUTIV E OFF ICE

WORK

SKILLED PROFESS IONS IN THE

COMMERCIA L A CTIV IT IES A ND

SERV ICES

CRA FTSMEN, SK ILLED WORKERS A ND

FA RMERS

PLA NT OPERA TORS, WORKERS F IXED A ND MOBILE MA CHINERY

A ND V EHICLE D RIV ERS

UNSKILLED OCCUPA TIONS

LABOUR MARKET SEGMENTATION

Italians Foreigners

Employment in Qualified Professions (>15 yrs)Source: Fondazione Leone, 2015

Importance of social networks

• Social ties/network is where social capital is embedded

• Human capital vs. social capital (what you know vs. who you know) in economic incorporation

• Network is central in every phase

• Pervasive use of personal ties in job finding: 59.5% foreigners, 38.1% naturalized, 25% Italians (ISTAT, 2014) (i.e. direct hire, passing on job to family members, friends, co-nationals)

• Compensatory function: due to lack of human capital –also for enhancing it

“In 1999, I went to Italy from Saudi Arabia as tourist. I was with my employers because

they were on vacation. But before arriving in Italy, I have already asked my employers if I

could stay behind. They agreed. So I went with them to Italy, but never left. A Filipina co-worker who became my close friend has a sister in Brescia and she convinced me to also transfer to Italy. ” (Osang, 52 years old,

16 years in Italy)

Brescia, Lombardy• produces 3.5% of Italian GDP (fourth

economic centre of Italy)

• densely urbanised area; significant development of tertiary sector

• Predominance of family-owned SMEs: manufacturing industry (metallurgy, textiles, food processing) agriculture

• along with Milan, has highest concentration of foreign population in all provincial capitals in Italy (18.6%).

Socio-economic incorporation

• Objective measure• Work trajectories• Were respondents able

to improve their occupational status over time? Job scores (ISEI) vs. ranks (ISCO)

• Subjective view• Satisfaction with working

life in Italy• Post-work prospects:

pension and return intentions

Mixed-Method Social Network Analysis

EGOCENTRIC NETWORK

• Composition

• Structure

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

• Regression

• Network effects

THEMATIC ANALYSIS

• Insider’s view

• Narratives

• Context

• Sequence/ Circumstances/ Consequences

Retrospective longitudinal data on work history and egocentric network (102):

official registry, migrant assoc/churches, trade unions, personal contacts, snowballing

Philippines: 27(M: 12; F: 15)

Characteristics of Filipino Respondents• Ave. age: 55.77 (male: 57.67; female: 54.27); min. 50, max. 66

• Majority are married: (2 single; 3 separated), ave. no. of children: 3.3

• Almost all knew someone before migrating to Italy (24/27)

• Worked abroad: 9/27, 33.3% (Hong Kong, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Japan), ave. 10 yrs

• Location of Children (at least one): Italy: 80%; Phils: 68%; Both: 11/25 (44.0%); Other countries (10/25, 40.0%)

• Educational: High school vocational: 40.7%; At least Univ: 40.7%

• Average stay in Italy: 17.7 years

• Experienced irregular stay: 16/27 (59.2%); min. 1, max. 10; ave: 2 yrs

Economic incorporation: highlights of quantitative results• 70.6% remained (61.8% in unskilled work); 26.5%

improved, 2.9% worsened (hard to fall further)• Getting a non-manual job: importance of good first job in

Italy (setting of initial path, early enrichment of migrant’s social capital) and training

• Ties with Italians and contacts with good jobs help improve job score (ISEI)

• BUT only acquisition of host-country training brings decisive upward mobility (cross-rank)

• AND opportunities and constraints for its attainment are mediated by social ties

“Life gets in the way”: re-visions of migration projects• migrants underestimate their duration of stay and

revise their migration projects as years pass by (i.e. legal status, work history, family exigencies)

• Improvement in work trajectories not always congruent with how respondents’ accompanying subjectivity

• Feelings regarding work trajectories and (non-) expectation of pension shape migrants’ return intentions

“I wanted to go home and be with my kids while they're still young and unmarried. I felt lonely because I did not see my children grow up. But then I had cancer, there's two other members of our family who are suffering from cancer – my

mom and sister, so I cancelled my plans. But I still want to go home after I'm cured of cancer and I've already saved enough. But I'm afraid that if I go home, I will just be a burden. Cancer

treatment is more expensive in the Philippines. (Elsa, 50, married, caregiver, 10 years in Italy)

Fulfilling but unstable job (3)upward mobilityhost-country skillsimpt role of native ties: info

and referrals to ensure flow of occasional work

self-employment: vulnerableturbulent ‘career’, tentative

future

Satisfying work and good status (4)

upward mobilityhost-country human capitalwell-connected and well-

interconnected contacts (bridge to institutions)

employment stability; business beyond ethnic enclave

decision to stay in Italy/EU, transnational

Path of least resistance (1)Feeling stuck in unskilled

workKin and co-ethnic network in

same jobs, densehigh initial expectation Use of formal channels tend

to lead to low-skilled workprotracted return

Expectations and Learned Satisfaction: lucky to have job (2)

Accept lower status Low or adjusted expectationsShort-term migration

framework discourages training

Emotional compensationMostly co-ethnics in the

same occupation, limited ties with Italians

Protracted return

OC

CU

PATI

ON

AL

STAT

US

SATISFACTION

Beyond staying or going: post-work prospects• (PROTRACTED) RETURN (15/27; 55.6%)

• Go back to the Philippines and start a/ attend to their business, continue employment, or take some time for leisure recreation after retirement

• Postponement due to exigencies (i.e. health, economic)

• STAY IN ITALY (5/27; 18.5%)

• Relatively satisfied with economic situation, family reunification (“we will fight it out here”)

• TRANSNATIONAL SET-UP OR ONWARD MIGRATION (7/27, 25.9)

• Both here and there: pension, children born in Italy (belongingness)

• Onward migration: With siblings or children working in another country apart from Italy (i.e. US, Austria), better prospects

• Language/ Training (7/27)

• No time (need to earn money), no need (short term stay)

• Training opportunities (crucial in decisive upward mobility) mediated by social ties

• Recognition of Degree from Abroad

• Degree form country of origin is irrelevant due to high demand for low-skilled work and complex process of certification

• Pension entitlement

• Lack of knowledge (contributory pension: at least 20 years working, portability)

• Irregular status during early years

• Discontinuous job, undeclared work (especially for women)

• Lower expected pension due to lower income (on ave., 25% less than Italians)

Short-term over long-term gainI don’t know why I didn’t take a

language course. I am always at the store. I didn’t think about going to school anymore. It’s hard to find work if you’re not “parla bene”.

(Rolando, 66, 6 years in Italy)

“If I want to have a better job, I need to study for two years here. But I have to children in the

Philippines, so for me it doesn’t matter if I will not be able to get a job that is like my job before. The more important thing is to earn money.” (Elsa, 63

years old, 17 years in Italy)

Thank you very much!

Maraming salamat!

Grazie mille!