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Canada's Immigration Selection System and Labour Market Outcomes

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  • Arthur Sweetman
  • Casey Warman

Abstract

Earnings and employment differences across categories of the immigrant selection system are explored with links to the points system. Additionally, alternative approaches to analysis are discussed with respect to their relevance for different policy questions. Appreciable outcome gaps across immigrant categories are observed, but with important differences in interpretation following from alternative approaches to specifying the sample and methodology for analysis. As expected, members of the economic class have superior earnings in the long run; however, employment in other immigration classes is sometimes comparable or higher. Notably, privately sponsored refugees have relatively good outcomes, particularly in the short run.

Suggested Citation

  • Arthur Sweetman & Casey Warman, 2013. "Canada's Immigration Selection System and Labour Market Outcomes," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 39(s1), pages 141-160, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpp:issued:v:39:y:2013:i:s1:p:141-160
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Abdurrahman Aydemir, 2011. "Immigrant selection and short-term labor market outcomes by visa category," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 24(2), pages 451-475, April.
    14. Abbott, Michael G & Beach, Charles M, 1992. "Immigrant Earnings Differentials in Canada: A More General Specification of Age and Experience Effects," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 221-238.
    15. Hou, Feng & Picot, Garnett, 2009. "The Effect of Immigrant Selection and the IT Bust on the Entry Earnings of Immigrants," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2009-37, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 26 Jun 2009.
    16. Abdurrahman Aydemir & Mikal Skuterud, 2005. "Explaining the deteriorating entry earnings of Canada's immigrant cohorts, 1966 – 2000," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(2), pages 641-672, May.
    17. Ferrer, Ana M. & Picot, Garnett & Riddell, W. Craig, 2012. "New Directions in Immigration Policy: Canada’s Evolving Approach to Immigration Selection," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2012-34, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 30 Nov 2012.
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    Cited by:

    1. Casey Warman & Matthew D. Webb & Christopher Worswick, 2019. "Immigrant category of admission and the earnings of adults and children: how far does the apple fall?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(1), pages 53-112, January.
    2. Casey Warman & Christopher Worswick, 2015. "Technological change, occupational tasks and declining immigrant outcomes: Implications for earnings and income inequality in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 48(2), pages 736-772, May.
    3. Guy Lacroix & Marie Albertine Djuikom Tamtchouong, 2018. "Dynamic Causal Effects of Post-Migration Schooling on Labour Market Transitions," Cahiers de recherche 1802, Centre de recherche sur les risques, les enjeux économiques, et les politiques publiques.
    4. Justin van de Ven & Sarah Voitchovsky, 2015. "Skilled migrants and labour market integration: how important is the selection process?," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-28, December.
    5. Cahit Guven & Lan Anh Tong & Mutlu Yuksel, 2020. "Australia's Immigration Selection System and Labour Market Outcomes in a Family Context: Evidence from Administrative Data," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 96(S1), pages 50-77, June.
    6. Audra J. Bowlus & Masashi Miyairi & Chris Robinson, 2016. "Immigrant job search assimilation in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(1), pages 5-51, February.
    7. Susumu Imai & Derek Stacey & Casey Warman, 2019. "From engineer to taxi driver? Language proficiency and the occupational skills of immigrants," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 52(3), pages 914-953, August.
    8. Liying Cheng & Gwan-Hyeok Im & Christine Doe & Scott Roy Douglas, 2021. "Identifying English Language Use and Communication Challenges Facing “Entry-Level” Workplace Immigrants in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 865-886, September.
    9. Tondji, Jean-Baptiste, 2015. "Wage of Immigrants in the Canadian Labour Market," MPRA Paper 80783, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Warman, Casey & Worswick, Christopher, 2014. "Technological Change and Declining Immigrant Outcomes, Implications for Income Inequality in Canada," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2014-51, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 25 Nov 2014.
    11. Richard E. Mueller & N. T. Khuong Truong, 2022. "Wage and basic skills inequality between immigrants by immigration admission categories and Canadian non-immigrants," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1833-1884, April.
    12. Nick Manuel & Miana Plesca, 2020. "Skill transferability and the earnings of immigrants," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(4), pages 1404-1428, November.
    13. Adnan, Wifag & Zhang, Jonathan & Zheng, Angela, 2023. "Intergenerational Mobility of Immigrants by Refugee Status: An Analysis of Linked Landing Files and Tax Records," IZA Discussion Papers 16471, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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