ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF IMMIGRATION WORKING PAPER SERIES

Prepared by Motu

Steven Stillman and David C. Maré

For the Department of Labour

June 2008

Acknowledgements

We thank Melanie Morten, Andrew Aitken and Yun Liang for exceptional research assistance and Jacques Poot, Andrew Coleman and seminar audiences at University of California-Irvine and University of Canterbury for comments on the paper. We also thank James Newell for providing us with data and assistance in creating local labour market boundaries.

Access to the data used in this study was provided by Statistics New Zealand under conditions designed to give effect to the security and confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act 1975. All non-regression results using Census data are subject to base three rounding in accordance with Statistics New Zealand's release policy for census data. Funding for this project is primarily provided by the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund grant 05-MEP-002. Additional funding has been provided by the Department of Labour Workforce Group to whom we are grateful. Any views expressed are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not purport to represent those of the Department of Labour, Motu or Statistics New Zealand.

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© 2008 Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Trust and the authors. Short extracts, not exceeding two paragraphs, may be quoted provided clear attribution is given. Motu Working Papers are research materials circulated by their authors for purposes of information and discussion. They have not necessarily undergone formal peer review or editorial treatment. ISSN 1176-2667.

Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Background
• Data and Sample Characteristics
• Descriptive Evidence
• Main Regression Results
• Additional Regression Results
• Conclusions
• References