The Economic Experiences of Refugees in Canada

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The Economic Experiences of Refugees in Canada

Author Info

DeVoretz, Don (IMER, Malmo University, RIIM, Simon Fraser University and IZA Bonn)
Pivnenko, Sergiy () (RIIM, Simon Fraser University)
Beiser, Morton (CERIS, University of Toronto)

Abstract

Canada admits refugees on the basis of compassion and not economic criteria. It is however, important to document the economic successes or failures among Canada’s refugee population in order to understand how post arrival integration policies affect refugee economic performance. This essay examines a set of economic indicators from Canada’s IMDB database to assess the post 1981 Canadian refugee economic experience. With the aid of a standard human capital model we answer a series of economic questions including the length of time required for refugee economic integration, their use of Canada’s social safety net, refugee poverty levels and refugee economic performance vis-à-vis Canada’s family immigrant class. Our main findings are that employed Canadian refugees earn an amount equal to that earned by their family class reference group circa 1980-2001. However, the incidence of social assistance attachment for refugees is substantial and for those refugees who receive any assistance their total income is at the near destitute level.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1088.

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Length: 32 pages
Date of creation: Mar 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1088

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

NEP-ALL-2004-04-04 (All new papers)

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

Morton Beiser & Feng Hou, 2000. "Gender Differences in Language Acquisition and Employment Consequences among Southeast Asian Refugees in Canada," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 26(3), pages 311-330, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)

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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

Timothy Hatton, 2008. "The Rise and Fall of Asylum: What Happened and Why?," CEPR Discussion Papers 577, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Hatton, Timothy J., 2008. "The Rise and Fall of Asylum: What Happened and Why?," CEPR Discussion Papers 6752, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Don J. DeVoretz, 2006. "A History of Canadian Recruitment of Highly Skilled Immigrants: Circa 1980-2001," IZA Discussion Papers 2197, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]

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