The Impact of Interprovincial Migration on Aggregate Output and Labour Productivity in Canada, 1987-2006

• Main Authors: Andrew Sharpe, Jean-Francois Arsenault, Daniel Ershov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centre for the Study of Living Standards 2007-09-01
• Series: International Productivity Monitor
• Subjects: interprovincial migration; migration; output; productivity; labour
• Online Access: http://www.csls.ca/ipm/15/IPM-15-sharpe-e.pdf

Interprovincial migration has increased significantly in Canada since 2003. This article develops a methodology to estimate total output gains due to interprovincial migration from two sources: gains due to increased employment, and gains due to re-allocation of workers between provinces with different productivity levels. It estimates that in 2006 the net output gains arising from interprovincial migration were $883.1 million (1997 constant prices), or 0.074 per cent of GDP. Higher employment rates in provinces experiencing a net positive balance of interprovincial migrants were responsible for $398.0 million of the gains and higher output per worker in these provinces was responsible for $485.0 million.