Asad Islam’s Major Research and Publications

Genetic distance, immigrants’ identity, and labor market outcomes

The relationship between immigrants’ ethnic identity and their labor market performance is a subject of strong policy and academic debate. While numerous empirical studies indicate that culture and identity shape labor market outcomes, causal interpretations remain elusive due to endogeneity: labor market performance and identity attitudes are often mutually influential. In this study, Asadul Islam and Paul A. Raschky propose an innovative solution: using genetic distance between an immigrant’s home and host country as an instrumental variable for ethnic identity, thereby isolating the exogenous component that captures deep-rooted cultural differences.

Methodology

The study utilizes data from Canada’s Equality, Security, and Community (ESC) Survey, rich in variables related to immigrant identity, ancestry, labor market performance, and demographic controls. Immigrants’ identity is measured both as the stated importance of their ethnic origin and as membership in ethnic organizations, while “Canadian identity” is proxied by the declared strength of belonging to Canada.

Genetic distance is computed using the fixation index (FST) per Cavalli-Sforza et al. (1994). The authors then employ an instrumental variable (IV) approach to estimate the effect of origin and host country identity on four labor market outcomes: log income, unemployment likelihood, job-finding through networks, and job satisfaction. The model robustly controls for observable confounders such as age, gender, years since migration, education, racial origin, and home country average cognitive skill levels.

Key Findings

• Genetic distance significantly influences identity formation: immigrants from genetically distant countries are more likely to retain strong home country identity and less likely to report belonging to Canada.
• A strong home country identity systematically raises the likelihood of unemployment for male immigrants (by as much as 24% according to 2SLS estimates), while a strong host country identity (Canadian) reduces the likelihood of being unemployed (by approximately 26%).
• No robust evidence that ethnic identity (home or host) influences income, reliance on informal networks for employment, or job satisfaction, once endogeneity is addressed.
• Most effects of identity diminish or lose statistical significance when controlling for racial background and educational attainment, suggesting that these structural factors dominate labor market outcomes.

The study further finds that the modest effect of identity is most pronounced in the first generation of immigrants, rather than in later generations born in the host country.

Discussion

Past research has often emphasized assimilation — adopting host country culture — as a route to labor market integration. This causal framework establishes that while a strong host country identity marginally improves employment odds, cultural and genetic distance are in practice overshadowed by systemic variables such as race and education. In context, Canadian immigration policy, with its points system favoring skilled migrants, may explain the relatively modest economic impact of identity compared to European counterparts. Informal job networks and ethnic associations, while socially significant, seem to play only a minor role in economic advancement.

Read the complete findings:-

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Asad-Islam-6/publication/274249674_Genetic_distance_immigrants%27_identity_and_labor_market_outcomes/links/55226dcd0cf2f9c13052bd4e/Genetic-distance-immigrants-identity-and-labor-market-outcomes.pdf

Technology Adoption and Diffusion among Rice Farmers in Bangladesh

Dr. Islam, along with international collaborators, led one of the world’s largest randomized controlled trials on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Bangladesh. Over two years and across hundreds of villages, his research revealed that SRI methods — transplanting young, single seedlings further apart, managing water with alternate wetting and drying, and incorporating more organic inputs — can consistently increase rice yields by up to 50% with almost no extra investment from farmers. Not only did these methods improve productivity, but they also promoted sustainability, reduced chemical exposure, and improved health outcomes for rural communities.

The project went beyond academic insight: it required changing generational habits and convincing farmers to abandon old norms. Through interactive training and ongoing support, farmers witnessed firsthand the power of simple, evidence-based changes. The results speak for themselves — increased food security, more stable incomes, and enhanced well-being for countless families.

Dr. Islam’s work represents a blueprint for how research, policy, and real-world action can intersect. By following his example, we can foster innovation that is both scalable and deeply rooted in community needs.

Explore the full research: https://www.bbc.com/storyworks/future/masters-of-change/unexpected-research-outcomes

The economic returns to good looks and risky sex in the Bangladesh commercial sex market

Asad Islam’s research, “The Economic Returns to Good Looks and Risky Sex in the Bangladesh Commercial Sex Market,” offers a rare, evidence-based look into the complex economics of sex work in Bangladesh. As someone who closely follows and shares his research, I am inspired by the depth and subtlety of his findings.

Islam and his co-author Russell Smyth explore how physical attractiveness and risky behaviors — especially unprotected sex — affect the incomes of sex workers in a unique South Asian context. Their findings are striking: attractive sex workers earn a noticeable premium (15–20%) on their monthly income compared to less attractive peers. Yet, this “beauty premium” is similar to what women in other occupations receive, challenging stereotypes about the unique economic value of looks in sex work alone.

Risk-taking — specifically agreeing to unprotected sex — also commands a large earnings premium. More attractive sex workers can charge higher for risky encounters, likely due to bargaining power and perceived desirability. However, these decisions carry enormous health risks, such as HIV or STDs, which Islam’s study carefully addresses through robust data analysis.

The study also highlights broader social realities: most sex workers are adolescents or young adults forced into difficult circumstances, including health vulnerabilities and social stigma. Interviews reveal how beauty, education, and family networks all influence opportunity and exposure to risk.

Islam’s research stands out for its methodological transparency: controls for client characteristics, worker disposition, and area fixed effects make its findings robust. The insights are not just academic. They matter for policy, public health, and our collective understanding of how gender, economics, and risk intersect in marginalized markets.

Read the complete findings:- https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=0NXsy30AAAAJ&cstart=20&pagesize=80&citation_for_view=0NXsy30AAAAJ:eQOLeE2rZwMC

Immigration unemployment relationship: The evidence from Canada, Research by Asad Islam

The relationship between immigration and unemployment has long been at the center of both academic research and policy debate. In the Canadian context, the core question is whether inflows of immigrants increase native unemployment or, conversely, stimulate economic growth and labor market dynamism. Asadul Islam’s study provides a comprehensive empirical assessment using advanced econometric techniques and over four decades of national data.

Literature and Theoretical Framework

The debate over immigration’s labor market impact is shaped by opposing theories. Some claim immigrants drive up native unemployment by competing for scarce jobs, while others argue that immigration fills skill shortages and boosts overall employment and productivity. Theoretical models (e.g., Harris and Todaro 1970; Ortega 2000) show mixed possibilities — immigrants could replace natives, complement native skill sets, or spur job creation through demand for goods and services. Prior international evidence has likewise been inconclusive, with outcomes highly sensitive to context and policy design.

Canadian Immigration Trends

Canada has maintained a relatively high but stable immigration rate since the 1950s, with notable increases in the diversity of origin countries following the adoption of the points system in 1967. Economic downturns in the 1980s and 1990s disproportionately affected recent immigrants, widening the employment gap with native-born Canadians. Nevertheless, immigration’s share of the total population has remained moderate by OECD standards.

Data and Methodology

Islam’s analysis leverages quarterly and annual data on immigration, unemployment, wages, and GDP, employing diagnostic checks for stationarity and seasonality. The paper applies Johansen cointegration analysis and vector autoregressive models, complemented by Granger causality tests and vector error correction models, ensuring robust controls for endogeneity and dynamic feedback in the system.

Key Empirical Findings

• No Evidence of Adverse Impact: Across multiple model specifications, the research fails to find any statistically significant short- or long-run effect of immigration on aggregate unemployment rates in Canada.
• Reverse Causality: Results point to a unidirectional causal link — higher unemployment leads to reductions in subsequent immigration, reflecting the responsiveness of migration flows to labor market conditions.
• Long-Run Positive Correlations: Immigration is associated with higher real wages and increased per-capita GDP, indicating broader macroeconomic benefits in the long term.
• Skill Composition Matters: Canada’s skill-based selection policies (the points system) further help to minimize negative labor market effects and position immigration as a complement, not a substitute, for native labor.

Policy Implications

The findings challenge the narrative that immigrants “take jobs” from Canadian-born workers, advocating instead for evidence-driven, skill-focused immigration policies. Restrictive approaches premised on labor market fears are unsupported by the data; in fact, immigrants play a positive role in wage growth and economic expansion. Policymakers are urged to maintain and refine systems that match immigrant skills to domestic needs while ensuring continued labor market flexibility.

Read the complete findings:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=0NXsy30AAAAJ&citation_for_view=0NXsy30AAAAJ:u-x6o8ySG0sC