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Skilled Immigration and Wages in Australia

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  • Asadul Islam
  • Dietrich K. Fausten

Abstract

This paper addresses the implications of the increasing skill intensity of cross-border migration flows for labour market outcomes in host countries. Specifically, we investigate the impact of the relative growth of skilled migrants on domestic wages in Australia over the last quarter century (1980-2006). We use instrumental variable (IV) estimation techniques to deal with the potential endogeneity of immigration. Unlike most of the previous literature, we use macro data to allow for the adjustment of wages and aggregate demand to immigration flows. However, the limited time span of such data raises problems of small sample bias. We address the small sample bias problem by using Jackknife IV estimation. Our basic finding challenges popular presumptions about the adverse wage implications of immigration. However, our examination of the skill composition of migration flows supports the many prevailing empirical findings that immigration need not cause labour market outcomes to deteriorate. Specifically, we do not find any robust evidence that a relative increase in arrivals of skilled immigrants exerts discernible adverse consequences on wages in Australia.

Suggested Citation

  • Asadul Islam & Dietrich K. Fausten, 2007. "Skilled Immigration and Wages in Australia," Monash Economics Working Papers 36-07, Monash University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:mos:moswps:2007-36
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    Cited by:

    1. Asadul Islam & Dietrich K. Fausten, 2008. "Skilled Immigration and Wages in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(s1), pages 66-82, September.
    2. Jaai Parasnis, 2010. "Estimating The Relationship Between Immigrant And Native Workers In Australia: A Production Theory Approach," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 73-85, March.
    3. Jeroen van der Waal, 2012. "Post-industrialisation, Immigration and Unemployment: How and Why the Impact of Immigration on Unemployment Differs between Dutch Cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(8), pages 1711-1724, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; wage; endogeneity; instrumental variable.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • C59 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Other

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