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The Impact Of Immigration On The Wage Differential In Australia

Author

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  • Hsiao-chuan Chang

Abstract

This paper investigates a significant current issue in Australia, the impact of immigration on the wage differential between skilled and unskilled labour, using simulation analysis from a dynamic intertemporal general equilibrium model. The results show that immigration cannot explain variations of the wage differential in Australia during the past ten years. In most of the years investigated, immigration only explains a small part of the change in the wage differential. There is also no evidence that immigration exerts significant downward pressure on the unskilled wage. A comparison of four policy options demonstrates that accepting an increased number of skilled immigrants per year at a certain rate will decrease the wage differential in both the short and long run. Cutting the number of skilled immigrants per year at a certain rate will increase the wage differential in the long run and decrease the wage differential in the short run. An effective policy to change the skilled-unskilled wage differential requires a mixture of a set of instruments aimed at other economic issues such as international trade, productivity growth and education.

Suggested Citation

  • Hsiao-chuan Chang, 2002. "The Impact Of Immigration On The Wage Differential In Australia," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 859, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:mlb:wpaper:859
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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