Working Paper: NBER ID: w23185
Authors: Nir Jaimovich; Henry E. Siu
Abstract: We study the role of foreign-born workers in the growth of employment in STEM occupations since 1980. Given the importance of employment in these fields for research and innovation, we consider their role in a model featuring endogenous non-routine-biased technical change. We use this model to quantify the impact of high-skilled immigration, and the increasing tendency of such immigrants to work in innovation, on the pace of non-routine-biased technical change, the polarization of employment opportunities, and the evolution of wage inequality since 1980.
Keywords: high-skilled immigration; STEM employment; technical change; wage inequality
JEL Codes: E0; J0
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| high-skilled immigration (J61) | employment in STEM occupations (J21) |
| high-skilled immigration (J61) | wage inequality (J31) |
| employment in STEM occupations (J21) | wage inequality (J31) |
| foreign-born workers (J61) | employment in STEM occupations (J21) |
| managerial roles (M54) | routine labor demand (J29) |