Working Paper: NBER ID: w11281
Authors: George J. Borjas; Lawrence F. Katz
Abstract: This paper examines the evolution of the Mexican-born workforce in the United States using data drawn from the decennial U.S. Census throughout the entire 20th century. It is well known that there has been a rapid rise in Mexican immigration to the United States in recent years. Interestingly, the share of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. workforce declined steadily beginning in the 1920s before beginning to rise in the 1960s. It was not until 1980 that the relative number of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. workforce was at the 1920 level. The paper examines the trends in the relative skills and economic performance of Mexican immigrants, and contrasts this evolution with that experienced by other immigrants arriving in the United States during the period. The paper also examines the costs and benefits of this influx by examining how the Mexican influx has altered economic opportunities in the most affected labor markets and by discussing how the relative prices of goods and services produced by Mexican immigrants may have changed over time.
Keywords: Mexican immigration; labor market; economic performance; skills; US Census
JEL Codes: J1; J6
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| historical immigration policies (K37) | decline in the share of Mexican immigrants in the US workforce (J69) |
| restrictive immigration laws and economic conditions during the Great Depression (K37) | decline in the share of Mexican immigrants in the US workforce (J69) |
| end of the bracero program in 1964 (J68) | increased illegal immigration (K37) |
| educational attainment (I21) | wage disparities for Mexican immigrants (J31) |
| educational differences (I24) | economic disadvantage of Mexican immigrants relative to native workers (J79) |