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The Economic Impact of Immigration on the Labor Market of Host Countries - Meta-Analytic Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Simonetta Longhi

    (Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom)

  • Peter Nijkamp

    (Department of Spatial Economics, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Jacques Poot

    (Population Studies Centre, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand)

Abstract

The number of immigrants across the world has doubled since 1980. The estimates of the impact of immigration on wages and employment in host countries are quantitatively small but vary widely. We use meta-regression analysis to show how the estimates vary with definitions of the labor market, the extent of substitutability of foreign and native workers, and controls for endogeneity of immigrant settlement. On average, the impact on employment of the native born is smaller than on wages, and impacts are generally smaller in the U.S. than in other countries studied to date. From the policy perspective, attention must now focus on distributional and long-run productivity effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Simonetta Longhi & Peter Nijkamp & Jacques Poot, 2011. "The Economic Impact of Immigration on the Labor Market of Host Countries - Meta-Analytic Evidence," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 11-103/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20110103
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Mason, 2014. "Immigration and African American Wages and Employment: Critically Appraising the Empirical Evidence," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 41(3), pages 271-297, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; Labour Market;

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure

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