Cette conférence sera en anglais, suivi d'une période de
questions
dans les deux langues officielles.
This public lecture will be
in English, followed by a question period
in both official
languages.
The Department of Economics
presents
The Immigrant Wage Gap in Canada: Quebec vs Outside Quebec
Serge Nadeau / Aylin Seçkin
Friday, June 12, 2009
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Desmarais
Building, room DMS10161
This paper compares the wage gap between immigrant and Canadian born workers in Quebec to that outside Quebec over the period 1980 to 2000. The paper focuses on males between the ages of 20 and 64. The analysis is based on the Public Use Microdata Files on Individuals available from the Canadian Census for the years 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001. A striking result is that while the average wage gap has been generally in favour of immigrants outside Quebec, it has been continuously in favour of Canadian born individuals in Quebec. A number of possible explanations are investigated, including: differences in immigrant attributes/skills; differences in immigrants' countries of origin (which may result in human capital that is less transferable); and, more wage discrimination against immigrants in Quebec than outside Quebec. None of these provides a consistently satisfactory explanation. Up to 1990, the major reason for the difference in gaps is the difference in countries of origin. After 1990, the major reason is the lower skill sets of Quebec immigrants. We cannot conclude that this is a consequence of Quebec having different immigration policies than the rest of Canada, as the immigration gap would be even larger if Quebec attracted the same type of immigrants as those landing outside Quebec. We find no evidence that there is more wage discrimination against immigrants in Quebec than outside Quebec.
For further information on this upcoming session, please contact Paul Makdissi at makdiss@uOttawa.ca.
613-562-5753
613-562-5999
www.sciencessociales.uOttawa.ca/eco
www.socialsciences.uOttawa.ca/eco