Gabriel Chaves Bosch

Welcome to my webpage!

My name is Gabriel and I am a final year PhD student in Economics at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). My main fields of interest are labour and public economics.

My current research focuses on the impact of immigration on local labour markets, public finances and innovation. In my papers, I use administrative data from Spain and Australia.

Before joining QMUL, I completed a MSc in Economics in the Barcelona School of Economics and an undergraduate degree in International Business Economics at Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

You can find my CV here.

You can contact me at gabrielchavesbosch@gmail.com.

Research

Creating Opportunity: The Impact of Immigration on Native Entrepreneurship (draft)

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of immigration on native entrepreneurship using rich social security data and a unique immigration episode in Spain. Using variation across local labour markets and employing a shift-share instrumental variable for identification, I find that immigration has a positive effect on native entrepreneurship. The effect is primarily driven by wage workers who transition into entrepreneurship following the immigration episode. To rationalise these findings, I propose and calibrate a model of occupational choice and immigration. The model shows the empirical results are consistent with an opportunity channel: an immigration-induced labour supply expansion lowers immigrant wages but has a limited impact on native wages. As a result, immigration lowers labour costs, enabling the creation of businesses that would not otherwise be profitable.

A Place in the Sun: Immigration from Richer Countries and Local Public Finances (draft)

Abstract: Do immigrants from higher-income countries improve local public finances? Many local and national governments seek to attract these immigrants, expecting that increased local consumption will stimulate the economy and broaden the tax base. Yet, little is known about their fiscal impact. Using data for Spanish municipalities and a shift share instrument based on preexisting immigrant networks, I find that a one percentage point increase in the local population share of immigrants from higher-income countries reduces per capita revenue and expenditure by about 1.6%. This decline reflects population growth from both immigrants and natives, with no change in total revenue or expenditure. Evidence indicates that such immigration is associated with more seasonal residents and a reallocation of employment toward hospitality and services, which lowers average worker income. These mechanisms explain why immigration from higher-income countries does not improve local public finances despite expanding the resident population.

Immigration and Regional Innovation: Evidence from Australia, joint with Cem Özgüzel and Jasper Hesse (draft)

Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between international immigration and regional innovation in Australia. Using comprehensive administrative data on the entire resident population linked with information on intellectual property rights applications, including patents, trademarks, and design rights, we explore how changes in immigration affect innovation outcomes. To address endogeneity, the study employs a shift-share instrument based on historical settlement patterns. We find that a one percentage point increase in the regional employment share of higher-educated immigrants is associated with a 4.8% increase in regional patent applications over five years. The effect is strongest for immigrants in scientific occupations, although positive associations are found across all skill and education levels. Additionally, regions with initially low levels of patenting experience larger relative gains. Finally, there is no effect of immigration on trademarks or design rights applications.

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