High-skilled immigration and native task specialization in U.S. cities

Gary C. Lin

Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2019, vol. 77, issue C, 289-305

Abstract: This study examines the effect of high-skilled immigration on the occupational structure of native-born workers in U.S. cities. I find that increases in foreign college workers in STEM occupations, where they hold a comparative advantage over native-born workers, increase the specialization of college natives in social-intensive tasks. Consistent with the productivity effect of task specialization, I find no evidence of displacement effects but do find evidence of positive wage effects of foreign STEM flows on college natives, particularly for those in high-social occupations. Because migration flows are endogenous, I use a shift-share instrument to identify the effect of high-skilled immigration.

Keywords: Cities; High-skilled immigration; Native occupational choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J24 J61 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:regeco:v:77:y:2019:i:c:p:289-305

DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2019.06.004

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