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How Immigrants Fare Across the Earnings Distribution: International Analyses

Author

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  • Chiswick, Barry R.

    (George Washington University)

  • Le, Anh T.

    (Curtin University)

  • Miller, Paul W.

    (Curtin University)

Abstract

This paper applies the quantile regression methodology to the study of the determinants of the distribution of earnings among the native born and immigrants in the United States and Australia. The analysis for immigrants is performed separately for those from English-speaking and non-English speaking origins. Using Census data, the quantile regressions permit the measurement of the partial effect of explanatory variables (such as schooling and experience) and the native born-immigrant earnings differential at the different deciles of the earnings distribution. Among other findings, the effects on earnings of schooling and labor market experience are shown to increase at higher deciles. The native-immigrant earnings gap varies by decile, and in particular increases in the U.S. at higher deciles. Minimum wages in the U.S. appear to compress earnings at low deciles, while the Australian minimum (administered) wage system appears to compress earnings across the distribution of earnings.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiswick, Barry R. & Le, Anh T. & Miller, Paul W., 2006. "How Immigrants Fare Across the Earnings Distribution: International Analyses," IZA Discussion Papers 2405, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2405
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hunt, Priscillia, 2008. "Are immigrants so stuck to the floor that the ceiling is irrelevant?," Economic Research Papers 269787, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    2. James T. Bang & Aniruddha Mitra, 2009. "Brain Drain and Institutions of Governance: Educational Attainment of Immigrants to the US 1988-2000," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0919, Middlebury College, Department of Economics.
    3. Kahanec, Martin & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2008. "International Migration, Ethnicity and Economic Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 3450, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Pia M. Orrenius & Madeline Zavodny, 2008. "The Effect of Minimum Wages on Immigrants' Employment and Earnings," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 61(4), pages 544-563, July.
    5. Fernando A. Lozano & Michael D. Steinberger, 2012. "Empirical Methods in the Economics of International Immigration," Chapters, in: Carlos Vargas-Silva (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods in Migration, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Zimmermann, Klaus F. & Kahanec, Martin, 2008. "Migration, the Quality of the Labour Force and Economic Inequality," CEPR Discussion Papers 6899, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Kahanec, Martin & Zaiceva, Anzelika, 2008. "Labor Market Outcomes of Immigrants and Non-Citizens in the EU: An East-West Comparison," IZA Discussion Papers 3420, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Dell’Aringa, Carlo & Lucifora, Claudio & Pagani, Laura, 2012. "A 'Glass-Ceiling' Effect for Immigrants in the Italian Labour Market?," IZA Discussion Papers 6555, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Carlo Dell’Aringa & Claudio Lucifora & Laura Pagani, 2015. "Earnings differentials between immigrants and natives: the role of occupational attainment," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-18, December.
    10. Valentina S. Consiglio & Denisa M. Sologon, 2022. "The Myth of Equal Opportunity in Germany? Wage Inequality and the Role of (Non-)academic Family Background for Differences in Capital Endowments and Returns on the Labour Market," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 455-493, January.
    11. Jimeno, Juan F. & Ortega, Ana Carolina, 2008. "The impact of immigration on the wage structure : Spain 1995-2002," UC3M Working papers. Economics we080603, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    12. Pierre Kohler, 2012. "The Effect of Host Society Culture on Migrant Wage Discrimination: Approaching the Roestigraben," IHEID Working Papers 08-2012, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    13. Valentina S. Consiglio & Denisa M. Sologon, 2019. "The Myth of Equal Opportunity in Germany?," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1060, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    14. Dipanwita Sarkar & Michael Kidd, 2016. "The impact of endogenous occupational attainment on native-migrant wage distributions," QuBE Working Papers 042, QUT Business School.
    15. Kohler, Pierre, 2012. "Three essays on the economic and cultural integration of migrants in Switzerland: putting into perspective the influence of economic discrimination and of host society culture," MPRA Paper 38129, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Bang, James T. & Mitra, Aniruddha, 2011. "Brain drain and institutions of governance: Educational attainment of immigrants to the US 1988-1998," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 335-354, September.
    17. Barry R. Chiswick & Anh T. Le & Paul W. Miller, 2008. "How Immigrants Fare across the Earnings Distribution in Australia and the United States," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 61(3), pages 353-373, April.
    18. Catalina Franco Buitrago, 2010. "Latin American Immigration in the United States: Is There Wage Assimilation Across the Wage Distribution?," Archivos de Economía 6447, Departamento Nacional de Planeación.
    19. Pierre Kohler, 2012. "The Effect of Host Society Culture on Migrant Wage Discrimination: Approaching the Roestigraben," IHEID Working Papers 08-2012, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    quantile regression; rates of return; immigrants; earnings distributions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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