Overview

Abstract (English)

This paper explores the role of initial housing conditions on labour outcomes among new immigrants to Canada. We focus on a relevant housing feature: having arranged housing before landing. Within the framework of a dual search model, this variable can be naturally interpreted as having a better outside housing option and therefore a lower opportunity cost of searching for a job. We find that not pre-arranging housing is associated with worse labour outcomes among unskilled immigrants. This negative relationship is significant si x months after landing, but diminishes over time. We interpret these results as evidence that in the few months after landing, a costly search for housing may crowd out a newcomer’s job search and worsen immigrants’ labour outcomes.

Abstract (French)

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