H-1bs: How Do They Stack Up to US Born Workers?

Lofstrom, Magnus; Hayes, Joseph

Abstract

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H-1bs: How Do They Stack Up to US Born Workers?

Magnus Lofstrom

Public Policy Institute of California; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

affiliation not provided to SSRN

IZA Discussion Paper No. 6259

Abstract:
Combining unique individual level H-1B data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and data from the 2009 American Community Survey, we analyze earnings differences between H-1B visa holders and US born workers in STEM occupations. The data indicate that H-1Bs are younger and more skilled, as measured by education, than US born workers in the same occupations. We fail to find support for the notion that H-1Bs are paid less that observationally similar US born workers; in fact, they appear to have higher earnings in some key STEM occupations, including information technology.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 33

Keywords: temporary workers, H-1B, immigration, high-skill, STEM

JEL Classification: J8, J15, J18, J31, J61

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Date posted: January 8, 2012

Suggested Citation

Lofstrom, Magnus and Hayes, Joseph J., H-1bs: How Do They Stack Up to US Born Workers?. IZA Discussion Paper No. 6259. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1981215

Contact Information

Magnus Lofstrom (Contact Author) Public Policy Institute of California ( email ) 500 Washington Street Suite 800 San Francisco, CA 94111 United States
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email ) P.O. Box 7240 Bonn, D-53072 Germany +49 228 3894 303 (Phone) +49 228 3894 210 (Fax)
Joseph J. Hayes affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Abstract

Citations (1)

H-1bs: How Do They Stack Up to US Born Workers?

Magnus Lofstrom

Joseph J. Hayes

Date posted: January 8, 2012

Suggested Citation

Contact Information

Magnus Lofstrom (Contact Author)

Joseph J. Hayes