The Labor Market Effects of Mexican Repatriations: Longitudinal Evidence from the 1930s

Jongkwan Lee, Giovanni Peri and Vasil Yasenov ()
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Vasil Yasenov: Stanford University

No 12689, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We examine the labor market consequences of an extensive campaign repatriating around 400,000 Mexicans in 1929-34. To identify a causal effect, we instrument county level repatriations with the existence of a railway line to Mexico interacted with the size of the Mexican communities in 1910. Using individual linked data we find that Mexican repatriations reduced employment of native incumbent workers and resulted in their occupational downgrading. However, using a repeated cross section of county level data, we find attenuated and non-significant employment effects and amplified wage downgrading. We show that this is due to selective in- and out-migration of natives.

Keywords: employment; Great Depression; Mexican repatriations; immigration; railway (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J15 J21 J61 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 66 pages
Date: 2019-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-lma, nep-mig and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published - published in: Journal of Public Economics, 2022, 205, 104558

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Related works:
Journal Article: The labor market effects of Mexican repatriations: Longitudinal evidence from the 1930s (2022)
Working Paper: The Labor Market Effects of Mexican Repatriations: Longitudinal Evidence from the 1930s (2019)
Working Paper: The Labor Market Effects of Mexican Repatriations: Longitudinal Evidence from the 1930s (2019)
Working Paper: The Labor Market Effects of Mexican Repatriations: Longitudinal Evidence from the 1930s (2019)
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