Impact of Country of Birth and Location of Study on Immigrant's Wages in Ontario and Quebec

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of country of birth and location of study on immigrants' wages in Canada. It compares immigrants from two different regions of birth (Africa and Asia), two main provinces (Ontario and Quebec) and two broad locations of study (Western and non-Western). It appears from the empirical results that the location of study is a significant discriminating factor for immigrants. Those with a Western highest degree fare better in both Quebec and Ontario for both genders. Also, immigrants fare better in Ontario than Quebec. Western-educated immigrants, particularly, men and also African-born women, do not have any significant wage disadvantages in Ontario when compared to natives. Immigrants of all genders, origins and locations of study are worse off than natives in Quebec (But this conclusion is not robust for Western-educated immigrants). Moreover, wages disadvantages tend to be higher for women then for men immigrants in both provinces. Wages disadvantages are particularly higher for immigrants with non-Western highest degree.