E.g., 06/25/2026
E.g., 06/25/2026
Labor Markets Initiative

Labor Markets Initiative

The Labor Markets Initiative produced detailed policy recommendations on how the United States should rethink its immigration policy in the light of what is known about the economic impact of immigration—bearing in mind the current context of the economic crisis, growing income inequality, concerns about the effect of globalization on U.S. competitiveness, the competition for highly skilled migrants, and demographic and technological change.

Within MPI, the project was led by MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou and Senior Vice President Michael Fix. The initiative's work was also guided by a group of leading experts in labor economics, welfare policy, and immigration.

Recent Activity

CIRbrief LowSkilled[1]
Policy Briefs
April 2013
Legal Immigration Policies for Low-Skilled Foreign Workers
By  Madeleine Sumption and Demetrios G. Papademetriou
MPI Cover ImmigrantsChangingLaborMarket
Books
March 2013
Immigrants in a Changing Labor Market: Responding to Economic Needs
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Reports
July 2011
Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System
By  Donald M. Kerwin and Kristen McCabe
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Reports
January 2011
Immigration Policy and Less-Skilled Workers in the United States: Reflections on Future Directions for Reform
By  Harry J. Holzer
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Reports
October 2010
Migration and Immigrants Two Years after the Financial Collapse: Where Do We Stand?
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Madeleine Sumption and Aaron Terrazas
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Reports
June 2010
The Impact of Immigrants in Recession and Economic Expansion
By  Giovanni Peri
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Reports
December 2009
The Economics and Policy of Illegal Immigration in the United States
By  Gordon H. Hanson
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Reports
November 2009
Tied to the Business Cycle: How Immigrants Fare in Good and Bad Economic Times
By  Pia M. Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny
More
MI_InvestingWiselyFuture
Video, Audio
March 27, 2013

Investing Wisely in the Future: How the U.S. Immigration System Can Better Meet U.S. Labor Market Needs

With the prospects for immigration reform greater than they have been in more than a decade and the U.S. economy slowly shrugging off the effects of the recession, the United States may be on the cusp of historic changes that make the immigration system a more effective tool for innovation, economic growth and the competitiveness of its firms—large and small. 

_ImmCleaners3
Audio
July 14, 2011

Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This webinar discusses labor enforcement laws during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations and chronicles gaps in labor protection.

multimedia ExecAction
Video, Audio
March 14, 2011

Steps to Fix the U.S. Immigration System: What Can the Administration Do?

This discussion focuses on the MPI report, "Executive Action on Immigration: Six Ways to Make the System Work Better," which outlines administrative actions that can be implemented to improve the immigration system.

event_holzer_2011
Video, Audio
January 13, 2011

Does Low-Skilled Immigration Hurt the U.S. Economy? Assessing the Evidence

In a report by MPI's Labor Markets Initiative, noted economist and Georgetown University Public Policy Institute Professor Harry J. Holzer examines the economic reasoning and research on these questions and looks at the policy options that shape the impact of less-skilled immigration on the economy. The discussion is on what policy reform would best serve native-born American workers, consumers, and employers, as well as the overall U.S. economy.

MI_PeriReport
Video, Audio
June 7, 2010

Immigrants: Contributors to the Economy or Competitors for American Jobs?

The long-term impact of immigration on the average income of Americans is small but positive. In the short term, however, immigration may slightly reduce native employment and average income. This discussion explores findings of a report analyzing both short- and long-run impacts of immigration on average and over the business cycle.

Pages

Recent Activity

Policy Briefs
April 2013

Legal Immigration Policies for Low-Skilled Foreign Workers

The current U.S. legal immigration system includes few visas for low-skilled workers, and employers have relied heavily on an unauthorized workforce in many low-skilled occupations. This issue brief explains the questions that policymakers must grapple with when designing programs for admission of low-skill workers, for temporary as well as permanent entry. The brief focuses in part on the recent agreement by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO regarding admission of future low-skilled workers.

Video, Audio, Webinars
March 27, 2013

Investing Wisely in the Future: How the U.S. Immigration System Can Better Meet U.S. Labor Market Needs

With the prospects for immigration reform greater than they have been in more than a decade and the U.S. economy slowly shrugging off the effects of the recession, the United States may be on the cusp of historic changes that make the immigration system a more effective tool for innovation, economic growth and the competitiveness of its firms—large and small. 

Books
March, 2013

Immigrants in a Changing Labor Market: Responding to Economic Needs

This volume, which brings together research by leading economists and labor market specialists, examines the role immigrants play in the U.S. workforce, how they fare in good and bad economic times, and the effects they have on native-born workers and the labor sectors in which they are engaged. The book traces the powerful economic forces at play in today’s globalized world and includes policy prescriptions for making the American immigration system more responsive to labor market needs.

Audio, Webinars
July 14, 2011

Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This webinar discusses labor enforcement laws during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations and chronicles gaps in labor protection.

Reports
July 2011

Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-Wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System

This report highlights gaps and anomalies in labor protection, while recognizing that U.S. law sets significant standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor, safe and healthy workplaces, antidiscrimination, labor organizing, and collective bargaining.

Video, Audio, Webinars
March 14, 2011

Steps to Fix the U.S. Immigration System: What Can the Administration Do?

This discussion focuses on the MPI report, "Executive Action on Immigration: Six Ways to Make the System Work Better," which outlines administrative actions that can be implemented to improve the immigration system.

Video, Audio, Webinars
January 13, 2011

Does Low-Skilled Immigration Hurt the U.S. Economy? Assessing the Evidence

In a report by MPI's Labor Markets Initiative, noted economist and Georgetown University Public Policy Institute Professor Harry J. Holzer examines the economic reasoning and research on these questions and looks at the policy options that shape the impact of less-skilled immigration on the economy. The discussion is on what policy reform would best serve native-born American workers, consumers, and employers, as well as the overall U.S. economy.

Reports
January 2011

Immigration Policy and Less-Skilled Workers in the United States: Reflections on Future Directions for Reform

Notwithstanding the broad consensus on the benefits of highly skilled immigration, the economic role of less-skilled immigrants is one of the more controversial questions in the immigration debate. While less-skilled immigrants bring economic benefits for U.S. consumers, employers, and skilled workers, they impose some costs on U.S. workers competing for similar jobs.

More