Exploring immigration settings, effects and outcomes

New Zealand has a unique opportunity (post Covid-19) to examine its approach to immigration settings.

This Motu Public Policy Seminar seminar will explore the issue of what immigration policy settings would best facilitate New Zealand’s long-term economic growth and promote the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

David Card will present on immigration effects and outcomes more broadly. This will be followed by a panel discussion with Dave Maré from Motu and Nicholas Green from the New Zealand Productivity Commission, then a Q&A.

David Card is the Class of 1950 Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley and Director of the Labor Studies Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His research interests include immigration, wages, education and gender-and race-related differences in the labor market. In this seminar, David will share his knowledge around global immigrant inflows, their system-wide effects and help us to understand the major drivers of anti-immigrant sentiment.

Dave Maré is the co-founder and has been a Senior Fellow at Motu since 2000. Dave’s current research interests include the economic performance of cities, including the operation of urban housing and labour markets, the determinants of success for workers and firms, diversity in labour markets and patterns of labour market adjustment - for individuals and in aggregate.

Nicholas Green is the director for the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into immigration settings. Nik has been public policy professional for more than 20 years and has worked for a range of organisations, including The Treasury, Business New Zealand, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Education and the Industry Training Federation. The Productivity Commission has just released an issues paper aimed at collecting submissions on New Zealand's immigration system.

Motu Public Policy Seminars are free and the public are welcome, please register for the event here.

Thanks to the support of The Treasury, the New Zealand Productivity Commission, Stats NZ and EECA.