Immigration has become systematically politicized and opposed by many
individuals. We examine individual attitudes toward equal opportunities for
foreigners and Swiss citizens, using cross-sectional data from the Swiss
Household Panel. Individuals with low levels of education tend to oppose
foreigners, while the opposition by individuals with high levels of education
increases with the risk of unemployment. Values and beliefs explain the negative
attitudes of individuals with low levels of education, but not the association
with the risk of unemployment for individuals with high levels of education.
Clearly, both values and economic factors are important for explaining attitudes
toward foreigners.
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