The wage impact of undocumented workers: Evidence from administrative data

C-Tier
Journal: Southern Economic Journal
Year: 2015
Volume: 81
Issue: 4
Pages: 874-906

Authors (3)

Julie L. Hotchkiss (Georgia State University) Myriam Quispe‐Agnoli (not in RePEc) Fernando Rios‐Avila (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.335 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 0.5x C-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Using administrative, individual level, longitudinal data from the state of Georgia, this article finds that rising shares of undocumented workers results in higher earnings for documented workers, but by a small amount. A one percentage point increase in the share of undocumented workers in a documented worker's county/industry results in an average wage boost of 0.44%. Within the firm, a one percentage point increase in the percent of undocumented workers employed by the firm boosts wages by 0.09% (0.11, 0.12, and 0.04 in low, medium, and high skill firms, respectively). Potential explanations for a positive wage impact are discussed.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:soecon:v:81:y:2015:i:4:p:874-906
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29