Shaping the life course: the interaction between partnerships, family building and employment among migrants and their descendants

This study investigates the way in which migrants’ and their descendants’ life course are shaped in the UK, focusing on the three interconnected domains of fertility, partnerships and employment. Despite several studies which have investigated a single domain, or interactions between two of these domains, to date there is little understanding of how the three domains interact. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we employ competing risks multilevel models to examine life course transitions by migrant background, generation and gender. Our results show, first, that for both men and women, there is almost a universal transition from education to employment, with low rates of partnership and childbearing. Second, we find some variation across migrant groups and generations for subsequent life transitions. Women from Pakistani/Bangladeshi backgrounds are more likely to leave employment, while Caribbean groups are at higher risk of union dissolution and unpartnered births compared to other groups. Third, overall, the patterns among the second generation more closely resemble those of the native population, suggesting a gradual assimilation. Additionally, the finding that employment exits remain common among partnered women belonging to some 1.5G and 2G groups suggest that socialisation factors, including conservative gender norms, also play a role in shaping the life course of migrants and their descendants. Finally, we find some evidence of differences by gender which may suggest that the life course transitions for men vary less by migrant background compared to women, further highlighting the influence of cultural gender norms in shaping life course trajectories.