How political climate influences health of migrant trainees

A recent study conducted by the University of Konstanz delves into the impact of right-wing populist election outcomes on the well-being and integration of trainees with immigrant backgrounds. The study reveals that the level of regional support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) significantly influences experiences of discrimination and resulting health implications for migrant workers.

Does the political atmosphere of a region affect the mental health and well-being of trainees with immigrant backgrounds? Can social polarization influence discriminatory experiences in the workplace? These are some of the questions explored in a new study from the “Integration@work” project conducted at the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality.”

The findings of this project have been published in the Academy of Management Journal.

Researchers from the University of Konstanz, University of Mannheim, and the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories examined the experiences of migrant trainees as part of this project.

“Our research demonstrates that the political attitudes prevalent in a company’s region can have a significant impact on how migrant employees perceive discrimination and their mental well-being,” explains Florian Kunze, the project leader and study co-author from the University of Konstanz.

To explore this correlation, the researchers conducted a longitudinal study involving approximately 1,000 trainees, collecting information about their experiences during the initial 13 weeks of training and comparing it with regional election data in Germany.

The results indicate that in regions with high levels of support for right-wing populist parties like the AfD, migrant workers increasingly feel marginalized by their colleagues over time, leading to adverse effects on their health and well-being.

“We observed that trainees in these regions reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion and job dissatisfaction after three months of training,” notes Benjamin Korman, an occupational psychologist and postdoctoral researcher. “This pattern was not evident in regions with low support for far-right parties.”

The implications of this study are particularly significant in the context of the role of migrant trainees in addressing the skilled labor shortage in Germany.

“Based on our findings, a right-wing populist climate poses a threat to the successful professional and social integration of migrants into the labor market,” emphasizes Max Reinwald, a junior professor of management.

These findings should serve as a point of reflection for both companies and policymakers.