Can immigrants insure against shocks as well as the native-born?

We examine the impact of job displacement and serious health problems on multiple measures of individual and household well-being using longitudinal data. We extend the previous literature by examining whether these shocks have differential effects for the native-born and immigrants and whether shock mitigation strategies and their effectiveness differ by immigration status. Our results suggest that both immigrants and native-born individuals have access to similar institutional and other formal and informal risk-sharing arrangements such that they are able to mitigate shocks against job loss or illness almost equally.

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