Skilled Immigrant and Native Workers in the United States: The Economic Competition Debate and Beyond (The New Americans) (Criminal Justice)

Batalova examines how the presence of skilled immigrants impacts the earnings of men and women, native born and immigrant. Skilled workers benefit from working with immigrants. However, there is a tipping point after which working with more immigrants is associated with a decline in earnings for all. In addition, female-dominated jobs are associated with lower earnings for all, regardless of nativity or gender. Overall, Batalova challenges the exclusive focus on immigrants as individual workers when discussing the economic impacts of immigration. Instead, she suggests placing the immigrant-native competition debate within the larger context of the American economy characterized by deepening labor market segmentation, occupational segregation, and gender inequality.