Low Wage

Recent Features

  • Special Report

Defining Skill: The Many Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

From construction workers to gardeners, many low-wage immigrant workers are in fact quite skilled.

  • Special Report

The Politics of Skill: Rethinking the Value of "Low-Skilled" Immigrant Workers

This paper challenges the assumption that skill is primarily derived from formal schooling and classroom education. Instead, authors focus on the tacit skills of newly-arrived Latino immigrant workers in the construction industry.

All Low Wage Content

  • Fact Sheet

The RAISE Act

August 11, 2017
The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE Act) or S. 354 would mark a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. immigration system. It would significantly reduce levels of legal...
  • Fact Sheet

The Impact of Immigrant Women on America’s Labor Force

March 8, 2017
There are nearly 12 million immigrant (foreign-born) women workers in the United States today, comprising just over 7 percent of the total labor force.
  • Special Report

Defining Skill: The Many Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

November 18, 2016
From construction workers to gardeners, many low-wage immigrant workers are in fact quite skilled.
  • Special Report

Giving the Facts a Fighting Chance: Addressing Common Questions on Immigration

December 14, 2015

Americans pride themselves on belonging to a nation of immigrants. In fact, many Americans celebrate not only the traditions of the United States, but the traditions of the countries from which...

  • Special Report

The Politics of Skill: Rethinking the Value of "Low-Skilled" Immigrant Workers

March 15, 2012
The political discourse surrounding the incorporation of immigrants into the U.S. labor market tends to sort immigrant workers into two broad and mutually exclusive categories: high-skilled workers...
  • Fact Sheet

Facts about Farmworkers

May 13, 2009
AgJOBS is a bipartisan, compromise bill that is the result of years of negotiations among farmworkers, growers, and Members of Congress. Get the facts on Farmworkers.
  • Fact Sheet

Immigration and the Elderly: Foreign-Born Workers in Long-Term Care

August 1, 2007
Aging populations and the growing need to provide long-term care to the elderly are among the leading demographic, political, and social challenges facing industrialized countries, including the...
  • Fact Sheet

Dollars without Sense: Underestimating the Value of Less-Educated Workers

May 1, 2007
A recent report from the Heritage Foundation is one in a long line of deeply flawed economic analyses which claim to estimate the contributions and "costs" of workers based solely on the amount of...
  • Fact Sheet

No Way In: U.S. Immigration Policy Leaves Few Legal Options for Mexican Workers

July 1, 2005
Current immigration policies are completely out of sync with the U.S. economy’s demand for workers who fill less-skilled jobs, especially in the case of Mexican workers. While U.S. immigration...
  • Fact Sheet

Labor Market Numerology: Arbitrary Congressional Limits on Temporary Worker Visas

April 1, 2004
The current numerical limits on visas for both high-skilled and seasonal workers prevent U.S. businesses from hiring the workers they need, while doing nothing to protect the jobs or wages of native...
  • Blog

How Can U.S. Blue-Collar Industries Thrive Again?

March 29, 2019

For the first time in two decades, the U.S. workforce has more jobs than people willing or able to fill them. Labor shortages are impacting almost every field in the country. But employers are now...

  • Blog

Uptick in Worksite Enforcement Hurts US Businesses and Economy

December 12, 2018

In its battle against undocumented immigration, the Trump administration appears to be focused on looking tough rather than addressing real problems. Judging from the latest official statistics on...

  • Blog

American Companies Should Be Able to Hire Foreign Seasonal Workers – Trump’s Businesses Do

July 13, 2018

Kitchens, restaurants, and housekeeping departments in high-end resorts are often staffed with foreign seasonal workers, who arrive into the United States during peak vacation months. American...

  • Blog

Delays in the Increase of Seasonal Worker Visas May Prove Too Late for Certain Industries

May 7, 2018

Failure to get H-2B (seasonal worker) visas approved has put Maryland’s seafood industry in jeopardy. Almost half of the Eastern Shore’s crab houses do not have workers they need to pick the meat...

  • Blog

Who Is in and out Under the RAISE Act

August 11, 2017

The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (RAISE Act) seeks to dramatically reshape American immigration by favoring youth and a narrow set of skills over family values and...

  • Blog

Here’s How Immigrant Women Are Essential to Our Labor Force

March 8, 2017

International Women’s Day is an appropriate time to take stock of the many ways in which immigrant women contribute to the labor force of the United States. Some of these contributions are often...

  • Blog

New Study Shows the Multiple Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

November 28, 2016

It is well known that immigrants make enormous contributions to the U.S. economy as workers, consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. As part of the labor force, immigrants are employed in a wide...

  • Blog

Immigration a Boon to U.S. Economy Finds National Panel of Experts

September 22, 2016

Immigrants and their descendants make valuable contributions to the U.S. economy, according to a new report just released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine entitled...

  • Blog

Eliminating the Black Market for Labor Between the U.S. and Mexico

September 13, 2016

Despite its 3,000 mile border and long shared history, the U.S. and Mexico do not currently have a bilateral agreement to regulate the flow of “lower-skilled” labor. Yet, as has long been the case...

  • Blog

What You Need to Know About the Temporary Worker Bill Introduced by Senator Flake

May 2, 2016

Last week, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced the Willing Workers and Willing Employers Act of 2016, which would establish a 10-year guest worker pilot program. According to Flake, the bill...

  • Blog

How Can U.S. Blue-Collar Industries Thrive Again?

March 29, 2019

For the first time in two decades, the U.S. workforce has more jobs than people willing or able to fill them. Labor shortages are impacting almost every field in the country. But employers are now...

  • Blog

Uptick in Worksite Enforcement Hurts US Businesses and Economy

December 12, 2018

In its battle against undocumented immigration, the Trump administration appears to be focused on looking tough rather than addressing real problems. Judging from the latest official statistics on...

  • Blog

American Companies Should Be Able to Hire Foreign Seasonal Workers – Trump’s Businesses Do

July 13, 2018

Kitchens, restaurants, and housekeeping departments in high-end resorts are often staffed with foreign seasonal workers, who arrive into the United States during peak vacation months. American...

  • Blog

Delays in the Increase of Seasonal Worker Visas May Prove Too Late for Certain Industries

May 7, 2018

Failure to get H-2B (seasonal worker) visas approved has put Maryland’s seafood industry in jeopardy. Almost half of the Eastern Shore’s crab houses do not have workers they need to pick the meat...

  • Blog

Who Is in and out Under the RAISE Act

August 11, 2017

The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (RAISE Act) seeks to dramatically reshape American immigration by favoring youth and a narrow set of skills over family values and...

  • Fact Sheet

The RAISE Act

August 11, 2017
The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE Act) or S. 354 would mark a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. immigration system. It would significantly reduce levels of legal...
  • Blog

Here’s How Immigrant Women Are Essential to Our Labor Force

March 8, 2017

International Women’s Day is an appropriate time to take stock of the many ways in which immigrant women contribute to the labor force of the United States. Some of these contributions are often...

  • Fact Sheet

The Impact of Immigrant Women on America’s Labor Force

March 8, 2017
There are nearly 12 million immigrant (foreign-born) women workers in the United States today, comprising just over 7 percent of the total labor force.
  • Blog

New Study Shows the Multiple Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

November 28, 2016

It is well known that immigrants make enormous contributions to the U.S. economy as workers, consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. As part of the labor force, immigrants are employed in a wide...

  • Special Report

Defining Skill: The Many Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

November 18, 2016
From construction workers to gardeners, many low-wage immigrant workers are in fact quite skilled.

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