HEBREW LANGUAGE USAGE - DETERMINANTS AND EFFECTS ON EARNINGS AMONG IMMIGRANTS IN ISRAEL

This paper uses the 1983 Census of Israel to analyze Hebrew speaking s kills and the effects of Hebrew fluency on the earnings of adult male immigrants. Hebrew fluency increases with a longer duration in Israel, the presence of children in the household, marrying after immigration , living in an area in which a smaller proportion speak one's mother t ongue, a younger age at migration, a higher level of schooling and var ies by country of birth. Earnings increase monotonically with the use of Hebrew. Speaking English as a second language is associated with hi gher earnings, even when country of origin is held constant.