From Advantage to Precarity: Evidence of Reversed Skill Returns Among Migrant Women With Caregiving Responsibilities
2026-09-04
Despite growing policy interest in attracting diverse talent, little is known about how family dynamics and caregiving responsibilities influence the labour market integration of skilled migrant workers. This article examines the employment of migrants in South Korea, focusing on the role of skill levels, gender, and caregiving responsibilities in shaping labour market outcomes. Applying a Difference‐in‐Differences approach to national survey data ( N = 21,018), this study evaluates the stability of migrant employment amid labour market disruptions. The results show that migrants experienced an overall four percentage‐point decline in employment, with a much sharper reduction among highly educated mothers, whose employment probability fell by 18.6 percentage points. This finding illuminates the compounded effects of human capital, gender, and family care duties on migrant labour market outcomes. The study contributes to research on migrant employment by demonstrating the gendered precarization of skills, emphasizing the role of caregiving responsibilities. The results underscore the need for family‐friendly policies that address the specific vulnerabilities of female migrants in order to enhance their economic incorporation and long‐term retention in the labour force.