Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Immigrant overeducation : evidence from recent arrivals to Australia.
AU - Green, Colin
AU - Kler, Parvinder
AU - Leeves, Gareth
N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Economics of Education Review 26 (4), 2007, © ELSEVIER.
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - Australian immigration policy, in common with the US and Canada, has increased the emphasis on skill-based selection criteria. A key premise of this policy is that skilled immigrants are more employable and can add to the productive capacity of the economy. However, this effect will be diminished if immigrants are working in occupations that fail to utilise their skills. We examine the extent of overeducation for recently arrived immigrants to Australia. We find that they are more likely to be overeducated than the native population, even if they enter on skill assessed visas. Overeducation is greater for immigrants from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) and generates lower returns to education. Tighter restrictions to welfare support on entry raised employment levels but increased overeducation. This will serve to reduce the potential productivity gains from skill biased immigration policies.
AB - Australian immigration policy, in common with the US and Canada, has increased the emphasis on skill-based selection criteria. A key premise of this policy is that skilled immigrants are more employable and can add to the productive capacity of the economy. However, this effect will be diminished if immigrants are working in occupations that fail to utilise their skills. We examine the extent of overeducation for recently arrived immigrants to Australia. We find that they are more likely to be overeducated than the native population, even if they enter on skill assessed visas. Overeducation is greater for immigrants from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) and generates lower returns to education. Tighter restrictions to welfare support on entry raised employment levels but increased overeducation. This will serve to reduce the potential productivity gains from skill biased immigration policies.
KW - Human capital
KW - Rate of return
KW - Overeducation
U2 - 10.1016/j.econedurev.2006.02.005
DO - 10.1016/j.econedurev.2006.02.005
M3 - Journal article
VL - 26
SP - 420
EP - 432
JO - Economics of Education Review
JF - Economics of Education Review
SN - 0272-7757
IS - 4
ER -