Immigration and innovation: Evidence from Canadian cities

Arbeitspapier

We examine the effect of changes in skilled-immigrant population shares in 98 Canadian cities between 1981 and 2006 on per capita patents. The Canadian case is of interest because its 'points system' for selecting immigrants is viewed as a model of skilled immigration policy. Our estimates suggest unambiguously smaller beneficial impacts of increasing the university-educated immigrant population share than comparable U.S. estimates, whereas our estimates of the contribution of Canadian-born university graduates are virtually identical in magnitude to the U.S. estimates. The modest contribution of Canadian immigrants to innovation is, in large part, explained by the low employment rates of Canadian STEM-educated immigrants in STEM jobs. Our results point to the value of providing employers with a role in the immigrant screening process.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper Series ; No. 12

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers ; Demographic Economics: Public Policy ; Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
• Subject: Immigration ; innovation ; immigration policy

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Blit, Joel ; Skuterud, Mikal ; Zhang, Jue
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Waterloo, Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF)
• (where): Waterloo
• (when): 2017

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/203342
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET