How does the presence of immigrant coworkers shape support for anti-immigration parties? The literature offers two competing expectations: close workplace contact can reduce intergroup prejudice, but immigrant coworkers might also be seen as labor-market competitors who increase opposition. This study leverages matched Swedish workplace records and election returns to adjudicate between these mechanisms.
📊 Data and Research Design:
- Detailed Swedish workplace data merged with precinct-level election outcomes for the Sweden Democrats, a large anti-immigration party.
- Key independent variable is the share of non-European workers at the workplace; outcome is vote share for the Sweden Democrats at the precinct level.
- Analyses examine heterogeneity by workplace size and by whether contact occurs between workers of similar skill levels.
🔎 Key Findings:
- A higher share of non-European coworkers is associated with lower support for the Sweden Democrats.
- This negative effect is concentrated entirely in small workplaces and is driven specifically by contact between workers with the same skill levels.
- The pattern is consistent with the contact hypothesis—direct interactions with minority coworkers reduce opposition to immigration—rather than a straightforward labor-market threat effect.
🌍 Why It Matters:
- Results show that workplace composition and the nature of coworker interactions can meaningfully shape anti-immigration voting.
- Small, same-skill work settings appear especially important for reducing support for anti-immigration parties, suggesting targeted contact opportunities could weaken anti-immigrant political mobilization.
