The Effect of Recent Technological Change on US Immigration Policy

Bjoern Brey

No 2022-34, Working Papers ECARES from ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles

Abstract: Did recent technological change shape immigration policy in the United States? I argue that as automation shifted employment from routine to manual occupations, it increased competition between natives and immigrants. In turn, this lead to a more restrictive US immigration policy. I provide empirical evidence for this by analyzing voting on low-skill immigration bills in the House of Representatives. Policy makers representing congressional districts with a higher share of manual employment and those exposed to manual-biased technological change are more likely to support restricting low-skill immigration. Additional results on the effect of (i) immigration on wages, (ii) voter’s attitudes on low-skill immigration, and (iii) political polarization complete the analysis. I do not find a corresponding effect of technological change on trade policy consistent with the highlighted mechanism.

Keywords: Political Economy; Voting; Immigration Policy; Technological Change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 67 p.
Date: 2022-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-int, nep-pol and nep-ure
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Related works:
Journal Article: The effect of recent technological change on US immigration policy (2024)
Working Paper: The Effect of Recent Technological Change on US Immigration Policy (2021)
Working Paper: The effect of recent technological change on US immigration policy (2021)
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