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Foreign‐born nurses in the US labor market

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  • Edward J. Schumacher

Abstract

This paper examines immigration and the wages of foreign and native nurses in the US labor market. Data from the Current Population Survey identifies a worker's country of birth and the National Survey of Registered Nurses (NSRN) identifies nurses who received their basic training outside the US. In 2004 about 3.1% of the registered nurse (RN) workforce is foreign‐born non‐US citizens, and 3.3% received their basic education elsewhere. The principal countries of origin are the Philippines, Canada, India, and England. Regression results show a 4.5% lower wage for non‐citizen nurses born outside of the US (Canadian nurses are an exception). The wage disadvantage is concentrated on foreign‐born nurses new to the US; once a nurse has been in the US for 6 years there is no longer a significant penalty. Results from the NSRN show relatively little overall wage differences between RNs who received their basic training outside versus inside the US, but there is a significant wage disadvantage for those new to the US market. The presence of foreign‐trained nurses appears to decrease earnings for native RNs, but the effects are small. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward J. Schumacher, 2011. "Foreign‐born nurses in the US labor market," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(3), pages 362-378, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:20:y:2011:i:3:p:362-378
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.1595
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    1. Barry T. Hirsch & Edward J. Schumacher, 2012. "Underpaid or Overpaid? Wage Analysis for Nurses Using Job and Worker Attributes," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 78(4), pages 1096-1119, April.
    2. Christian Dustmann & Giovanni Facchini & Cora Signorotto, 2015. "Population, Migration, Ageing and Health: A Survey," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1518, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    3. Michel Grignon & Yaw Owusu & Arthur Sweetman, 2013. "The international migration of health professionals," Chapters, in: Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Migration, chapter 4, pages 75-97, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Nicholas Hill & Richard McGregory & James Peoples, 2018. "Noncitizen Employment and the Wages of Healthcare Support Workers in the US," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 433-461, December.
    5. Haan, Peter & Wnuk, Izabela, 2024. "The Effect of Migration on Careers of Natives: Evidence from Long-Term Care," IZA Discussion Papers 16749, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Peter Haan & Izabela Wnuk, 2024. "The Effect of Migration on Careers of Natives: Evidence from Long-term Care," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2070, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    7. Christine Dauth & Julia Lang, 2019. "Can the unemployed be trained to care for the elderly? The effects of subsidized training in elderly care," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 543-555, April.
    8. Patricia Cortes & Jessica Pan, 2014. "Foreign nurse importation to the United States and the supply of native registered nurses," Working Papers 14-7, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    9. Cortés, Patricia & Pan, Jessica, 2014. "Foreign nurse importation and the supply of native nurses," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 164-180.

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