Immigration, Labor Market Mobility, and the Earnings of Native‐Born Workers

Abstract

This article seeks to improve on previous estimates of the impact of immigration on native wages by using an occupational segmentation approach that directly controls for regional migration and other shifts in the native-born U.S. labor supply. The U.S. labor market is segmented by occupation in order to determine which, if any, native workers tend to be vulnerable to increased immigrant competition for jobs. The results suggest that native-born workers in the primary sector are the main beneficiaries of increased immigration, while native-born Hispanic females in the secondary sector are the most susceptible to downward wage pressures.

A Warm Embrace or the Cold Shoulder? Wage and Employment Outcomes in Ethnic Enclaves

“…In particular, females with higher levels of education appear to be more exposed to competitive labor market pressures from an expanding enclave, regardless of the skill level embodied in those generating the increased ethnic concentration. As illustrated in Pedace (2006), this is consistent with work in the area of immigration and segmented labor markets.…”

“…One possible explanation for this is the importance of English language ability 16. See Pedace (2006) for a more detailed discussion of this. Notes: The dependent variable is equal to 1 if individual is employed; 0 if unemployed.…”

Employer Monopsony Power in the Labor Market for Undocumented Workers

“…Some of this wage differential is likely because of the concentration of undocumented workers in lower-paying industries or occupations, undocumented workers working fewer hours, or the upward push in the occupational chain of documented workers with the arrival of lower-skilled undocumented workers (Pedace 2006). The undocumented wage gap increases as workers move up the wage distribution.…”

Undocumented Workers' Employment Across U.S. Business Cycles

“…Undocumented workers, on average, earn roughly half of the average documented worker wages (quarterly earnings, unconditional means). Some of this wage differential is likely because of the concentration of undocumented workers in lower‐paying industries or occupations, undocumented workers working fewer hours, or the upward push in the occupational chain of documented workers with the arrival of lower‐skilled undocumented workers (Pedace 2006). As can be seen toward the bottom of the table, the undocumented wage gap increases as workers move up the wage distribution.…”