Inequalities in Economic Return of Education: Differentials by Religion and Migration

This paper focuses on education as the most important human capital endowment and presents research-based evidence to examine the association between migration, religion and education from an economic and socio-demographic perspective. Since migrants’ status in the labour market operates as an essential indication of settlement and integration upon migration, this analysis examines the association through migrants’ work patterns. The field of this study is the multiethnic and multicultural context of Australia holding a wide range of ethnic and religious groups of migrants from throughout the world. According to both bivariate and multivariate findings of this analysis, educational attainment as an important human capital plays a substantial role in migrants’ work achievements. However, the economic return of education is significantly associated with migration status, religious affiliation, and ethnic backgrounds of migrants.