Australian migration policy change: selecting winners and making losers

Abstract

I investigate the effects of 1997 Australian migration policy changes on the skilled immigrants' labour market and social assimilation. I find that, after the changes, notwithstanding the overall success and stronger favourable self-selection of skilled immigrants, females, Asians and the ‘poorer’ are at risk of underemployment and mental disorder. The findings facilitate the debate on economic gains and social costs of policy reforms.

Keywords:

• immigrant
• underemployment
• mental health
• favourable self-selection

JEL Classification:

• I1
• J6

Notes

The article is extracted from the fourth chapter of my PhD thesis completed at Monash University.