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The legacy of immigration: labour market performance and education in the second generation

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  • Derek Hum
  • Wayne Simpson

Abstract

Previous research finds that the children of immigrants, or the second generation, earn at least as much as other native born but that there are persistent ethnic differences in the intergenerational transmission of education and wages. We explain why these results are not incompatible and extend the empirical evidence in several directions using the Canadian Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. First, we estimate a model of wages, earnings and hours worked using modern econometric techniques to corroborate earlier US results of complete integration by the second generation in the labour market. We find that ethnic differences in labour market performance are significant, but that these difference do not alter conclusions about the relative performance of the second generation. Second, we find a source of superior labour market performance for the second generation in higher educational attainment, which constitutes an important legacy of immigration that should not be ignored. Third, we find that the definition of the second generation matters. Men and women with two immigrant parents achieve about one additional year of education, while those with one immigrant parent achieve about one-half that educational advantage. We conclude that the education effect of an immigrant mother or father are comparable.

Suggested Citation

  • Derek Hum & Wayne Simpson, 2007. "The legacy of immigration: labour market performance and education in the second generation," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(15), pages 1985-2009.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:39:y:2007:i:15:p:1985-2009
    DOI: 10.1080/00036840600690223
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. David A. Green & Christopher Worswick, 2017. "Canadian economics research on immigration through the lens of theories of justice," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(5), pages 1262-1303, December.
    2. Mohsen Javdani, 2020. "Visible Minorities and Job Mobility: Evidence from a Workplace Panel Survey," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 18(4), pages 491-524, December.
    3. Siahaan, Freddy & Lee, Daniel Y. & Kalist, David E., 2014. "Educational attainment of children of immigrants: Evidence from the national longitudinal survey of youth," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 1-8.
    4. James Ted McDonald & Christopher Worswick, 2013. "Intergenerational Implications of Immigration Policy on Apprenticeship Training and the Educational Distribution in Canada," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 39(s1), pages 165-185, May.
    5. Garnett Picot & Feng Hou, 2013. "Why Immigrant Background Matters for University Participation: A Comparison of Switzerland and Canada," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 612-642, September.
    6. Javdani, Mohsen, 2019. "Visible Minorities and Job Mobility: Evidence from a Workplace Panel Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 12736, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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