Earnings by Language Group in Quebec in 1980 and Emigration from Quebec between 1976 and 1981.

Between 1976 and 1981, many people moved out of Quebec, especially among the Anglophones. To the extent that a person's decision to st ay or to move may be related to earnings prospects, earnings comparis ons with individuals who lived in Quebec in 1981 may suffer from a se lection bias. This paper analyzes emigration from Quebec and earnings with a two-equation model, using a sample of men drawn from the 1981 census. It is found that a selection bias is indeed present for Angl ophones and that the returns to learning French may be underestimated when that bias is ignored.