The Effects of Official English Laws on Limited-English-Proficient Workers

Madeline Zavodny

Journal of Labor Economics, 2000, vol. 18, issue 3, 427-52

Abstract: Workers with limited English skills may suffer adverse effects when states declare English the official language. If employers believe official English laws allow or require them to adopt workplace English-only rules that lower the demand for limited-English-proficient workers, such laws may harm individuals who do not speak English well. Using data from the 1980 and 1990 censuses, I estimate whether the earnings of limited-English-proficient workers who live in states that adopted official English laws declined relative to other workers. The results suggest a substantial decline in the annual earnings of men with limited English proficiency. Copyright 2000 by University of Chicago Press.

Date: 2000
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Working Paper: The effects of official English laws on limited-English-proficient workers (1998)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:jlabec:v:18:y:2000:i:3:p:427-52

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