The trade effects of skilled versus unskilled migration

Egger, Peter H.; v. Ehrlich, Maximilian; Nelson, Douglas R. (July 2012). The trade effects of skilled versus unskilled migration (Unpublished) London : CEPR Discussion Papers: CEPR Discussion Paper

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In this paper, we assess the role of skilled versus unskilled migration for bi-lateral trade. Using a large data-set on bilateral skill-specific migration and a flexible novel identification strategy, the impact of different levels of skilled and unskilled immigration on the volume and structure of bilateral imports is identified in a quasi-experimental design. We find evidence of a polarized impact of skill-specific immigration on imports: highly concentrated skilled or unskilled immigrants induce higher import volumes than a balanced composition of the immigrant base. This effect turns out particularly important when institutions are weak. Regarding the structure of imports, we observe that skilled immigrants specifically add to imports in differentiated goods. Both bits of evidence are consistent with a segregation of skill-specific immigrant networks and corresponding trade patterns.

Item Type:

Working Paper

Division/Institute:

03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Department of Economics
03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Department of Economics > Institute of Economics
03 Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences > Department of Economics > Institute of Economics > Public Economics
11 Centers of Competence > Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED)

UniBE Contributor:

v. Ehrlich, Maximilian

Subjects:

300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 330 Economics

Publisher:

CEPR Discussion Paper

Language:

English

Submitter:

Simon Büchler

Date Deposited:

03 Aug 2017 15:16

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:02

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Skilled versus unskilled immigration; migrant networks; bilateral trade; quasi-randomized experiments; generalized propensity score estimation

JEL Classification:

C14, C21, F14, F22

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.95014

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/95014

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