Immigration Flows and Regional Labor Market Dynamics
Electronic Access:
Free Download. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file
Summary:
The paper analyzes the ability of a regional labor market to absorb growing flows of immigrant workers with declining levels of skills during relatively high unemployment. The impact of the size of the flow and the skill characteristics of the immigrants are analyzed. It is found that immigration is positively related to unemployment in the short run but in the long run is negatively related. Also, a higher average skill level among immigrants makes them more effective in their job search in the short run. Finally, increasing the discrepancy between the skill distribution of immigrants and that of the existing workforce is desirable, as both types of labor appear to be complements in the short-run.
Series:
Working Paper No. 1998/047
Subject:
Labor Labor markets Migration Population and demographics Real wages Unemployment Unemployment rate
English
Publication Date:
April 1, 1998
ISBN/ISSN:
9781451846614/1018-5941
Stock No:
WPIEA0471998
Pages:
29
Please address any questions about this title to publications@imf.org