Immigration, Education and Labour Market Institutions

In this paper we analyse the effect of immigration on the labour market conditions for different skill groups. We develop a model of endogenous labour supply in which immigration affects educational decisions. We show how the skill premium changes with immigration of low skilled labour under flexible and rigid wages. Depending on the labour market institutions, immigration of low skilled labour is absorbed either by an increased skill premium or increased unemployment of low skilled labour. Thus, we extend the existing explanations of changing skill premia and unemployment of low skilled labour experienced during the last decades. Our model gives a rationale for the debate on immigration of high skilled workers as a way to reduce unemployment of low skilled workers in highly rigid labour markets.