Research

Working Papers:

Abstract Growing up in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations may have mixed effects on the future labor market outcomes of immigrant children. Estimating these effects is challenging due to endogenous spatial sorting of immigrant families and unobserved confounding factors. To address these challenges, I propose a novel identification strategy that combines between-siblings analysis with a shift-share instrument. This approach compares the outcomes of immigrant siblings who experienced different shares of immigrants in their childhood neighborhoods, where the actual share is predicted by the interaction between the past spatial distribution of immigrants and the current national immigrant inflows by country of origin. Using administrative data from Canada, I find that a one-percentage-point increase in the average share of immigrants in childhood neighborhoods reduces the adult income rank of immigrant children by 0.8 percentile points. The negative impact is driven by increased residential segregation between natives and immigrants within the neighborhood and the declining income of their childhood neighbors. Further evidence suggests that these locational changes may impede immigrant children's development of social networks and unobservable skills, such as interpersonal skills, thereby reducing their likelihood of attaining high-paying jobs.
Abstract I study a Canadian policy reform that relaxed post-graduation work restrictions for international students. Using administrative data and differences-in-differences strategies, I analyze the labor market outcomes of native graduates in response to the reform. I find that regions with a history of greater exposure to international graduates experienced a more substantial influx of international graduates after the reform. Using the uneven regional effects, I document that more international graduates prolonged the job search and lowered the earnings among native graduates.

Work in Progress: