What is the optimal immigration policy? Migration, jobs, and welfare

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Guerreiro, Joao; Rebelo, Sergio; Teles, Pedro
• 署名单位: Northwestern University; Northwestern University; National Bureau of Economic Research; Northwestern University; Center for Economic & Policy Research (CEPR); Banco de Portugal; Universidade Catolica Portuguesa; Banco de Portugal
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF MONETARY ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3932
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2020.04.009
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 61-87
• 关键词: immigration; optimal taxation; Welfare state; redistribution

摘要

We study the immigration policy that maximizes the welfare of the native population in an economy where the government designs an optimal redistributive welfare system and supplies public goods. We show that when the government can design different tax systems for immigrants and natives, free immigration is optimal. It is also optimal to use the tax system to encourage the immigration of high-skill workers and discourage that of low-skill workers. When immigrants and natives must be treated alike, banning low-skill immigration and allowing free immigration for high-skill workers is optimal. However, there might be no high-skill immigration when heavy taxes are levied on all high-skill workers, both natives and immigrants. (c) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.