One hundred thousand welcomes? Economic threat and anti-immigration sentiment in Ireland1

Abstract

Public opinion has moved towards a more restrictive approach to immigration since 2008, particularly in countries more strongly affected by economic recession. This is generally assumed to be a consequence of economic threat due to greater competition for scarce material resources, such as employment, leading to anti-immigration sentiment. However, not all individuals are affected equally by job losses, nor by the presence of migrants. Using data from the European Social Survey (2008–2016), in conjunction with the Labour Force Survey (2007–2016), this paper examines if individuals within occupations and sectors which face economic decline as measured by job losses, and which have a greater representation of migrants, are more likely to express anti-immigration sentiment. In line with the threat hypothesis the study finds that positive job growth is associated with pro-immigration sentiment while a greater share of migrants within occupations and sectors is linked to greater opposition towards immigration.