Immigrants and Native Workers: An Analysis of the Long Run Impact of Immigrants on Native Workers

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/th83kz811

Abstract

In this study I examine how new labor market entrants affect employment, poverty, and income and how this varies for different subcategories of the population within Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs) and metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas not within a CSA. These subcategories are sorted by nativity and education level and I specifically look at how foreign born workers impact native workers. The effect can be measured by looking at the changes in population for high-skilled/low-skilled natives and migrants and comparing this to the changes in the number of persons employed, unemployed, in poverty, out of poverty, etc. The time period for the population change is adjusted relative to the time period for the employment change to look at the short run and long run effects of immigration. I use the initial population size for each subgroup as a control. My data source is the American Community Survey from the United States Census Bureau. I find that most of the effect that immigrants have on native workers is negative, however these effects are very minimal for an increase in the low-skilled immigrant population. An increase in the high-skilled immigrant population has a larger negative effect on native workers than an increase in the low-skilled immigrant population. An increase in the native population has the greatest negative impact on native workers.

Creator