The effect of immigration quotas on the average quality of migrating labor and income distribution

Abstract

In this paper, the authors develop "a simple two-country, single-period model to study the effect of quota restrictions on the composition of migrating labor. [They] have divided the migrant population in two general categories called high skilled and low skilled and have shown that free migration of any category of labor occurs if and only if the country's share of world resources is different from its share of the world labor endowment in that category." Two possible outcomes, given differing labor endowments and income differentials, are considered. The potential effect of illegal immigration is also noted. The authors conclude that their model "is applicable not only to 'brain drain' problems, but also to guest worker programs and/or the mass migration of low skilled workers from poor countries to rich countries."