[cover]

Legal U.S. Immigration

Influences on Gender, Age, and Skill Composition

Michael J. Greenwood, University of Colorado at Boulder
John M. McDowell, Arizona State University

 

(The first chapter of this book is available in .pdf format.)

"[This] book provides the most extensive analysis of the composition of legal immigration yet done." Journal of Economic Literature
Given that legal immigration is at or near historic high levels, it stands to reason that the composition of migration flows could have a significant impact on the American economy. For instance, highly skilled immigrants may help boost productivity, young female immigrants may cause a rise in the fertility rate, and older immigrants may add to the burden on any number of social programs.

Many studies have described this composition in common demographic and socioeconomic terms, but they mostly ignored the reasons for the composition of the migration. This study attempts to explain why certain migration flows include who they do. Why at times are migration flows composed of more women than men? More of the relatively old than young? Skilled than unskilled?

Professors Michael J. Greenwood and John M. McDowell develop empirical models that enable them to examine the influence of two important determinants - source country characteristics and U.S. immigration policy - on the gender, age, and skills of immigrants coming to America.

Their results reveal two broad conclusions. First, source country characteristics significantly shape the rate and composition of U.S. immigration. Of particular interest, especially to policymakers, is evidence that describes the social programs available in source countries (such as old-age pensions, healthcare, and unemployment insurance) and how these programs influence the makeup of migration flows.

Take unemployment insurance (UI). Greenwood and McDowell find that the existence of UI programs in source countries significantly reduces the rate of migration of younger workers to the U.S. The authors also document the implications of differential economic opportunities, migration costs, political attractiveness and religion on immigrant composition.
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    • Second, Greenwood and McDowell show how U.S. immigration policy plays an important role in controlling the rate of immigration, as well as shaping the immigrants' characteristics. They also point out, however, that many effects of U.S. policy, especially regarding immigrant composition, are likely to be unintended.

    "Whatever economic and social effects of immigration, they are closely tied to the demographic and economic composition of the immigrants themselves," say the authors. "As a consequence of substantial levels of annual immigration that promise to continue well into the future, many of the issues concerning immigrant composition raised in this monograph will remain before the American people for years to come."

    300 pp. 1999
    $44 cloth ISBN 0-88099-190-9 / ISBN-13 978-0-88099-190-2
    $25 paper ISBN 0-88099-189-5 / ISBN-13 978-0-88099-189-6

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