Earnings Gap Increasing Between Immigrant and US-Born Workers

[Liz Chimienti <chimienti@xxxxxxxx>]

Study Finds Widening Gap Between Immigrant and U.S.-Born Workers

According to a new report released by the
Center for Economic and Policy Research the earnings gap between
immigrant and U.S.-born workers increased substantially between 1980 and
2000. Even after controlling for age and education, the
immigrant-earnings gap for men and women increased during this
period.

In addition, the number of years immigrants spent in the United
States before converging on the earnings of US-born workers increased
substantially as well. 

This widening economic gap between immigrants and US-born workers
probably reflects the broader deterioration in wage and working
conditions for less-skilled and low-wage workers in the United States,
independent of their immigration status. 

The full report, "Changing Patterns in the Relative Economic
Performance of Immigrants to Great Britain and the United States,
1980-2000," by John Schmitt, economist at the Center for
Economic and Policy Research, and Jonathan Wadsworth, economist at the
Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics, can be found
at
http://www.cepr.net/publications/immigration_2006_04.htm.

Liz Chimienti
Domestic Outreach Associate
Center for Economic and Policy Research
1611 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 293-5380 x110
Fax: (202) 588-1356