The Economics of International Immigration
Environment, Unemployment, the Wage Gap, and Economic Welfare

Authors: Kenji Kondoh



Focuses on the economic analysis of developed host countries such as the EU countries, Japan, and the United StatesTreats the connected current topics of global economy such as unemployment, environmental pollution, and economic integration

Consists mainly of material published in refereed journals and also includes a survey study of international migration

This is the first book that takes a theoretical approach to the effects of international immigration by considering the current economic topics confronted by more highly developed countries such as Japan. Developed here is the classic trade model by Heckscher–Ohlin–Samuelson, McDougall’s basic model of the international movement factor, the urban–rural migration model by Harris–Todaro, and Copeland–Taylor’s well-known model in the field of environmental economics by introducing new trends such as economic integration including free trade and factor mobility between countries at different stages of development. Coexistence of two types of immigrants – legal, skilled workers and illegal, unskilled workers – without any explicit signs of discrimination, transboundary pollution caused by neighboring lower-developed countries with poor pollution abatement technology, difficult international treatment of transboundary renewable resources, the rapid process of aging and population decrease, the higher unemployment rate of younger generations, and the serious gap between permanent and temporary employed workers—are also considered in this book as new and significant topics under the context of international immigration. Taking into account the special difficulties of those serious problems in Asia, each chapter illustrates Japanese and other Asian situations that encourage readers to understand the importance of optimal immigration policies. Also shown is the possibility that economic integration and liberalization of international immigration should bring about positive effects on the economic welfare of the developed host country including the aspects of natural environment, renewable transboundary resources, the rate of unemployment, and the wage gap between workers.

Table of contents

Front Matter

Introduction and Summary

International Migration and the Economy of the Host Country
• Front Matter
• Permanent Migrants and Cross-Border Workers: The Effects on the Host Country
• Legal Migration and Illegal Migration: The Effectiveness of Qualitative and Quantitative Restriction Policies

International Immigration and the Labor Market
• Front Matter
• International Immigration and Economic Welfare in an Efficiency Wage Model: The Coexistence Case of Both Legal and Illegal Foreign Workers
• Temporary and Permanent Immigration Under Unionization
• The Frequency of Migration and Optimal Restriction Policies

International Immigration and the Natural Environment
• Front Matter
• Trans-boundary Pollution and International Migration
• Trans-boundary Pollution and Brain Drain Migration
• Pollution Abatement Equipment and International Migration
• Unemployment, Environmental Policy, and International Migration
• Renewable Resources, Environmental Pollution, and International Migration

International Immigration and Economic Integration
• Front Matter
• International Integration with Heterogeneous Immigration Policies
• Emigration, Immigration, and Skill Formation: The Case of a Midstream Country
• Can the Economic Partnership Agreements Help the Developed Country with a Decreasing Population?