
This working paper is D7.3 (T5.1) of the Horizon Europe project 'Global Strategy for Skills, Migration and Development' (GS4S). The paper explores the overeducation of tertiary-educated migrants in European labour markets. Using data from the European Labour Force Survey (2012–2022), we show that immigrants, particularly those from non-EU countries, are significantly more likely to be overeducated than natives. Despite a general decline in overeducation levels for all groups over time, the immigrant-native gap remains, especially for foreign-educated migrants. Furthermore, the likelihood of overeducation for foreign-educated migrants increases until 15–19 years after migration, a pattern consistent across all areas of origin and migration cohorts. Importantly, differences in educational quality between origin and destination countries do not primarily account for these overeducation differentials. The findings underscore the need for policies that better align immigrants’ skills with labour market demands in Europe to avoid the waste of valuable immigrants’ skills, which are harmful not only to migrants but to the economies of receiving countries too.
EU labour markets, Immigration, Skill mismatch
EU labour markets, Immigration, Skill mismatch
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 2 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
