John Vanderkamp

Migration Flows, Their Determinants and the Effects of Return Migration

This paper examines at the theoretical level the distinction among new, return, and autonomous migration flows. This helps to explain the relative magnitudes of observed gross and net migration flows. Return migration has the effect of linking gross migration flows in opposite directions. The income-distance trade-off is strongly affected by the state of the labor market. Thus, not only is the overall level of migration reduced under depressed conditions, but the allocative efficiency of migration is also adversely affected.

The Effects of Migration on Income: A Micro Study with Canadian Data, 1965-71

The authors present a test of the human capital model applied to Canadian migration. They examine the pattern of migration payoffs using regression analysis of a large micro data base of about 8,000 individuals (SUMMARY IN FRE)

Canadian Union-Nonunion Wage Differentials

Using extensive Canadian longitudinal data from the years 1969–71, the authors estimate union-nonunion wage differentials of 12–14 percent for 1969 and 13–16 percent for 1970. These estimates are not adjusted for selectivity because three different tests to identify selectivity yield no evidence of selectivity bias. The authors argue that although testing for selectivity is often essential, selectivity adjustments have resulted in greatly inflated estimates of union-nonunion wage differentials in some studies and should therefore be used with caution.

The Role of Migration in Regional Adjustment

During recent decades regional economies in Canada have experienced several substantial shocks. International price changes have probably played the most prominent role, and the variations in oil and grain prices are the spectacular examples. But policy changes may also have had regional impacts, including changes in taxes, federal-provincial fiscal arrangements, and unemployment insurance reform. The basic purpose of this paper is to examine how regions adjust to these kinds of shocks. Regional disparities in incomes, wages and unemployment rates are obviously related to this shock-adjustment process, and an important goal of this research is to draw some implications about the nature and causes of these regional disparities.