Migration between the United States and Canada: a study of labour market adjustment

"... The main purpose of this study is to examine population flows between Canada and the United States [from mid-1947 to mid-1972] in order to investigate the degree to which labour market adjustment is aided by such movements. [The author considers] several functional forms of the migration relationship in an attempt to empirically determine how the decision to migrate is formed. [He also compares the] results with those obtained by Courchene...for Canadian interprovincial migration in an effort to compare the effects of international and internal migration on labour market adjustment." It is found that "migration between the United States and Canada over the post-war period is an economic variable. In fact, [a] simple model employing differences in income levels and unemployment rates has been able to explain nearly ninety-five per cent of the variation in the migration rate." The author also notes that "although migration between Canada and the United States does occur in such a way as to aid labour market adjustment, it is not as efficient as internal migration." (summary in FRE, SPA)     

Comparative migration issues

"This article reviews migration issues in Canada, the United States, and Mexico in the context of a general interpretation that NAFTA's [North American Free Trade Agreement] migration provisions are insufficient to deal with the larger continental migration problems."     

Ethnicity and migration in Canada

"This study focuses on the relationship between ethnicity and geographic mobility in Canada by examining 1971 census data. Several competing hypotheses are extracted from the literature on the social demography of ethnic and minority groups and evaluated for their efficacy in explaining the observed differences in geographic mobility. The results from a multivariate analysis suggest that the causal mechanisms involving ethnic, characteristic factors and the propensity to move are varied and interconnected; hence, both ethnic and social demographic characteristics are important sources of migration differentials. The article concludes by providing a theoretical model for further examination of ethnicity and migration."     

A case study of the labour market status of recent mainland Chinese immigrants,metropolitan Toronto

"This article focuses on an analysis of the labour market status of recent MCIs [mainland Chinese immigrants to Canada], taking into account such factors as gender, educational attainment, language proficiency and period of arrival (or length of residence in Canada), and uses Metropolitan Toronto as a case study. The effect of each factor on MCIs' labour market status will be analysed separately, followed by two logit models examining the simultaneous effects of the factors and their relative importance." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)     

Migration,natality and fertility: some Caribbean evidence

"This research note explores the macrolevel impact of external migration on the demographic behavior of Caribbean islands. The analysis provisionally argues that the massive mobility of Caribbean peoples in the postwar era--primarily of young, reproductive (especially female), working-age cohorts--has inversely affected natality and population growth in sending societies, and reversed these effects in receiving societies. Results further suggest secondarily and quite indirectly that migration may also influence fertility patterns in similar directions through the impacts of age-sex imbalances on mating behavior and family formation."     

Migration between Canada and the United States, 1970-85: some new estimates

The author applies the revised UN definition of what constitutes an emigrant to migration data on moves between Canada and the United States over the period 1970-1985. "The effect of changing to the UN definition is dramatic, and differences between old and new estimates are not systematic.... If these findings stand up when all migrants are included, using the UN definition, then the much larger flows suggest that the effects on the composition and characteristics of the nonmigrant population of Canada warrant investigation."     

Foreign-born Canadian emigrants and their characteristics (1981-1986)

"This article provides estimates of levels and structures of recent return migration from Canada. Estimates are distinguished according to sex, period of immigration and place of birth of foreign-born emigrants. Special attention is paid to propensity to return. The impact of return migration on change of foreign-born populations is also evaluated." This is a revised version of a paper originally presented at the 1989 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America (see Population Index, Vol. 55, No. 3, Fall 1989, p. 426).     

Return migration from Australia: a case study

"The study investigates the departure from Australia of former settlers who arrived during the 1980 calendar year. The 1980 settler arrival cohort [consists] of 75,167 visaed migrants.... The study has three main aims: (i) to analyse departures from Australia of the 1980 settler arrival cohort with a view to gauging the success of Australia's immigration program in retaining settlers; (ii) to examine the retention rates of settlers with respect to characteristics...including age, sex, marital status, country of last residence, and settler eligibility category; and (iii) to consider implications of the findings." Australia's present immigration policy is discussed, previous research on return migration from Australia is summarized, and a detailed analysis of the departure data is presented. "This study found that by August 1984, 12.4 per cent of non-refugee settlers who arrived in Australia during 1980 had departed permanently but that only 0.6 per cent of the 1980 refugee cohort had done so." These figures represent a decline in immigrant departure rates since the 1960s and early 1970s. Small differences in departure rates by place of birth, age, and marital status, which may have demographic consequences if sustained over time, are noted. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA)     

Correlates of welfare dependency among immigrants in Australia

"This article investigates some of the factors that are associated with welfare dependency among immigrants in Australia. It examines the role of factors such as gender, age, migration category, birthplace, period of arrival and educational background in explaining immigrants' dependence on government pensions and benefits as their main source of income." The author finds that there are "significant differences in welfare dependency...by birthplace and migration category even after controlling for age, education and employment status. Immigrants from Vietnam, Lebanon and Turkey were more likely than others to be dependent on welfare. Refugees were also more likely than other immigrants to be dependent on welfare; however the effect of refugee status on welfare dependency diminished with duration of residence in Australia."     

International migration in the Dominican Republic: implications for development planning

"The Dominican Republic represents a microcosm of all the major migration patterns: substantial emigration and immigration, sizeable return migration, and persistent internal rural-urban migration. The impacts of these various types of migration are related and have a significant influence on the development process. This study analyzes the causes of these migrations as well as the costs and benefits in terms of the individual migrants and the country as a whole. Finally, it investigates the implications of migration for development planning in the Dominican Republic." The authors conclude "that the migration issue is not an area distinct from the various development focuses, but rather cuts across and is related to many of the program areas in which the government is involved."     

Temporary workers in Canada: a multifaceted program

"This article highlights important developments in the character of temporary worker flows to Canada between 1973 and 1985 through the use of unpublished data and new measures for analyzing this data. The number of employment authorizations are converted to person years to indicate the overall labor market impact of temporary worker flows and this measure is employed in an analysis of unpublished data from Employment and Immigration Canada. The analysis reveals that a significant and growing proportion of employment authorizations are exempted from governmental procedures which link the admission of temporary workers to the Canadian labor market." Reasons for these exemptions and policy implications are discussed     

The South-to-North migration of women

"This article challenges the conventional wisdom that, since the circa 1974 discontinuation of policies encouraging temporary labor migration, female migration has significantly outnumbered male migration. Drawing on data from Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, the article shows that the proportion of women in gross immigration is lower when the flows originate in developing rather than in developed countries. Women outnumber men only in terms of net migration. Each receiving country has its own variations on these generalizations, with the chief variables being the receiving countries' admission policies and the stage in migration history of the expatriate population."     

Current trends and patterns of female migration: evidence from Mexico

"This study uses a new source of data to assess trends and patterns of female migration from Mexico. Data were collected from migrants interviewed in ten Mexican communities from 1987 through 1990, as well as from outmigrants from those communities who were later located in the United States. The first part of the analysis examines changes in migrant behavior throughout the 1980s by estimating trends in the probability of first-time and repeat migration and by assessing the impact of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) on these trends.... The study then considers the determinants of female Mexican-U.S. migration by examining whether and how women's recent moves reflect their personal characteristics, the resources in their households, or a process of family reunification." This paper was originally presented at the 1992 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America.     

Immigrant fertility: an examination of social characteristics and assimilation

"This study compares the fertility patterns of foreign-born and native-born women in Canada and examines whether [the] same set of social characteristics accounts for differential fertility among both the groups. The study also assesses the importance of social characteristics and assimilation on immigrant fertility behavior. Two generations of currently married/cohabiting women with spouse present are analyzed using multiple regressions. The results reveal similar effects on fertility of social characteristics for foreign-born and native-born, while in the case of younger generations the effects are stronger."     

Possible approaches to improving the international comparability of immigration and emigration statistics: an illustration of the Canadian situation

"This article seeks to highlight the extent of the lack of standardization which exists in the field of international migration statistics and, using statistics for Canada as an example, to illustrate how significant progress towards resolving this problem could be made if sufficient numbers of countries made their immigration and emigration statistics gradually comply more fully with the United Nations recommendations."     

Assessing the differences in distance of interstate migration, 1980

"This study examines distance of 1975-80 interstate migration [in the United States] and several explanations for the relations between distance and characteristic of migrants and locations.... Observations are individual records from the 1980 one-in-ten-thousand PUMS files. The sample is restricted to nonblack, noninstitutionalized head of households, age 25 to 64 in 1980.... We find outmigration is shaped by characteristics of individuals; however, distance of migration is shaped by characteristics at locations. Findings lend support to an interpretation of distance reflecting psychic costs and information and are consistent with a cost/benefit view of factors contributing to distance of migration."     

International migration in Greece: statistical results

"The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of some socio-economic factors affecting immigration in Greece and the relation of these factors to those affecting internal migration and the migration process as a whole." An econometric model is elaborated using data for 1981. The findings show that standard of living and other socioeconomic factors play an important role in the decision to migrate, particularly in the case of internal migration. (summary in FRE, SPA)     

Mass migration governance and openness toward refugees: Comparing Germany and Turkey

This study seeks answers to the question: ‘Under what conditions do communities with migration experience in refugee-receiving states become more open toward accepting more refugees and why?’. The research seeks answers to this question by examining the attitudes of individuals (N = 37) from Turkey who have been living in Germany for at least a year and who have sufficient familiarity with the characteristics of governance of mass migration in both countries. The findings suggest that the respondents are more pessimistic about the consequences of Turkey accepting more refugees in the future, while they are optimistic about the outcomes of the arrival of more refugees in Germany. This study posits that receiving communities' perceptions about the host state's regulatory and institutional capacity in managing mass migration and integration of refugees shape their attitudes toward the possibility of the influx of more refugees over time. The findings indicate that efficient mass migration governance in a receiving state is identified through four characteristics: (i) admission of educated refugees, (ii) proper refugee registration procedures, (iii) systematic integration processes, and (iv) effective monitoring and law enforcement mechanisms. The study concludes that local communities view public authorities as the key actors in managing the consequences of mass migration and establishing and sustaining good mass migration governance at the receiving state level is likely to facilitate positive attitudes towards accepting more refugees.     

Which Child Immigrants Face Earnings Disparity? Age‐at‐immigration,Ethnic Minority Status and Labour Market Attainment in Canada

Using Canadian Census microdata from 1990 to 2005, we investigate the earnings attainment of immigrants to Canada in 6 age‐at‐arrival cohorts. In comparison to past work we extend our understanding regarding three dimensions of the age at immigration debate: we explore heterogeneity across fine grained age‐at‐arrival cohorts, over a fifteen‐year period and across different ethnic groups. We find that white immigrants and female immigrants arriving in Canada prior to age 18 face little earnings disparity. In contrast, visible minority male immigrants face significant earnings disparity regardless of their age‐at‐migration, and additionally this disparity increases sharply with age‐at‐migration. We find a break in earnings attainment at an age‐of‐arrival of 17, with immigrants arriving after this age performing much worse than those arriving at this age or earlier. The patterns observed are found for visible minority immigrants as a whole, and for Chinese, South Asian and African/Black origin immigrants examined separately.