Evidence from the 1920s U.S. Immigration Quota Acts
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Evidence from the 1920s U.S. Immigration Quota Acts. / Ager, Philipp; Hansen, Casper Worm.
2017.Research output: Working paper › Research
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TY - UNPB
T1 - Evidence from the 1920s U.S. Immigration Quota Acts
AU - Ager, Philipp
AU - Hansen, Casper Worm
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The introduction of immigration quotas in the 1920s fundamentally changed U.S. immigration policy. We exploit this policy change to estimate the economic consequences of immigration restrictions for the U.S. economy. The implementation of the quota system led to a long-lasting relative decline in population growth in areas with larger pre-existing immigrant communities of affected nationalities. This effect was largely driven by the policy-restricted supply of immigrants from quota-affected nationalities and lower fertility of first- and second-generation immigrant women. In the more affected areas labor productivity growth in manufacturing declined substantially and native workers were pushed into lower-wage occupations. While native white workers faced sizable earnings losses, black workers benefited from the quota system and improved their relative economic status within the more affected areas.
AB - The introduction of immigration quotas in the 1920s fundamentally changed U.S. immigration policy. We exploit this policy change to estimate the economic consequences of immigration restrictions for the U.S. economy. The implementation of the quota system led to a long-lasting relative decline in population growth in areas with larger pre-existing immigrant communities of affected nationalities. This effect was largely driven by the policy-restricted supply of immigrants from quota-affected nationalities and lower fertility of first- and second-generation immigrant women. In the more affected areas labor productivity growth in manufacturing declined substantially and native workers were pushed into lower-wage occupations. While native white workers faced sizable earnings losses, black workers benefited from the quota system and improved their relative economic status within the more affected areas.
KW - Faculty of Social Sciences
KW - Immigration Restrictions
KW - Productivity Growth
KW - Local Labor Markets
KW - Racial Wage Gap
KW - J31
KW - J61
KW - N31
KW - O15
M3 - Working paper
T3 - University of Copenhagen. Institute of Economics. Discussion Papers (Online)
BT - Evidence from the 1920s U.S. Immigration Quota Acts
ER -
ID: 190435531