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Immigrant Wage Assimilation and the Return to Foreign and Host-Country Sources of Human Capital

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  • Skuterud, Mikal
  • Su, Mingcui

Abstract

We compare predicted relative immigrant wage profiles based on returns to YSM and to foreign and host-country sources of schooling and experience. We find the biases inherent in inferring assimilation from a return to YSM appear more substantial than those emanating from the assumptions necessary to estimate foreign and host-country returns directly using standard data sources. Given the policy relevance of allowing entry effects and subsequent wage growth to depend on the foreign human capital immigrants bring and their post-migration schooling and work decisions, our findings suggest the predominance of YSM models in the literature is not well founded.

Suggested Citation

  • Skuterud, Mikal & Su, Mingcui, 2009. "Immigrant Wage Assimilation and the Return to Foreign and Host-Country Sources of Human Capital," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2009-38, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 26 Jun 2009.
    • Handle: RePEc:ubc:clssrn:clsrn_admin-2009-38
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    File URL: http://www.clsrn.econ.ubc.ca/workingpapers/CLSRN%20Working%20Paper%20no.%2030%20-%20Skuterud%20and%20Su.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Christian Dustmann, 2014. "Selective Outmigration and the Estimation of Immigrants Earnings Profiles," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1402, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    3. Dustmann, Christian & Görlach, Joseph-Simon, 2016. "Estimating immigrant earnings profiles when migrations are temporary," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 1-8.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigrant workers; wage differentials; human capital;
    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
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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