Work

The effects of ongoing internal immigration enforcement on the US agricultural labor supply

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We demonstrate that unexpected increases in enforcement have a temporary but costly impact on labor supply among noncitizen farmworkers. Analyzing Current Population Survey data and immigration‐related arrests, we find that unexpected increases in immigration arrests decrease labor force participation (LFP) among noncitizen farmworkers by up to 3.4 percentage points and reduce weekly work hours by up to 23.1% per month. These effects translate into a 1.38 percentage point decline in LFP and a 9.08% reduction in weekly hours worked across farmworkers. Our results suggest that localized enforcement exerts downward pressure on immigrant populations during periods when policies are not activated.

Source: Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

DOI: 10.1002/jaa2.70026

Authors: Alejandro Gutiérrez‐Li, Joaquin Alfredo‐Angel Rubalcaba

Institutions: North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: Migration and Labor Dynamics

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,500