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Changes In The Relative Earnings Gap Between Natives And Immigrants Along The U.S.‐Mexico Border

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  • Alberto Dávila
  • Marie T. Mora

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using 1990 and 2000 U.S. census data, this study investigates changes in immigrant/native earnings disparities for workers in U.S. cities along the international border with Mexico vis‐à‐vis the U.S. interior during the 1990s. Our findings—based on estimating earnings functions and employing the Juhn‐Murphy‐Pierce (1993, JPE) wage decomposition technique—indicate that the average earnings of Mexican immigrants along the U.S.‐Mexico border improved relative to those accrued by their counterparts in the U.S. interior and by otherwise similar U.S.‐born Mexican Americans between 1990 and 2000. However, when comparing Mexican‐born workers to U.S.‐born non‐Hispanic whites, the immigrant border‐earnings penalty remained statistically unchanged.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Dávila & Marie T. Mora, 2008. "Changes In The Relative Earnings Gap Between Natives And Immigrants Along The U.S.‐Mexico Border," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3), pages 525-545, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jregsc:v:48:y:2008:i:3:p:525-545
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9787.2008.00562.x
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    1. Budy P. Resosudarmo & Asep Suryahadi & Raden Purnagunawan & Athia Yumna & Asri Yusrina, 2009. "The Socioeconomic and Health Status of Rural–Urban Migrants in Indonesia," Development Economics Working Papers 23042, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    2. Danzer, Alexander M. & Dietz, Barbara & Gatskova, Ksenia & Schmillen, Achim, 2014. "Showing off to the new neighbors? Income, socioeconomic status and consumption patterns of internal migrants," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 230-245.
    3. Budy P. Resosudarmo & Asep Suryahadi & M.P. Purnagunawan & Athia Yumna & Asri Yusrina, "undated". "The Socioeconomic and Health Status of Rural–Urban Migrants in Indonesia," Working Papers 333, Publications Department.
    4. O. Alonso-Villar & C. Grad󸀍 & C. del R􈀍, 2013. "Occupational segregation of Hispanics in US metropolitan areas," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(30), pages 4298-4307, October.
    5. Xin Meng & Chris Manning & Li Shi & Tadjuddin Nur Effendi (ed.), 2010. "The Great Migration," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13619.
    6. Anita Alves Pena, 2013. "Poverty measurement for a binational population," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 10(2), pages 254-269, May.

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