Lean In on Immigration Reform: It’s Good for Your Paycheck and for Women in the Work Force

Haven’t gotten through all 844 pages of the Gang of 8’s immigration reform bill yet?

I mentioned here that Michael Clemens and Lant Pritchett will be diving into the bill to tell you more about what they love, like, and hate. One of the provisions they’ll be particularly focused on is the W-Visa provision. See their smart brief on why increased time-bound labor access is a win for the US and for developing countries (that’s temporary or guest workers to you and me).

But in the meantime, check out Michael’s interview with Dylan Matthew over at the Washington Post’s Wonkblog, titled, Immigration’s Effect on Wages: “Definitely positive, without any doubt whatsoever.”

And Michael really does get his wonk on. He practically runs Dylan through every analysis on immigration’s effect on wages ever published.

My favorite bit is when he talks about Patricia Cortés and José Tessada’s study:

"Showing that in U.S. cities that have gotten more immigration, labor force participation by skilled women is higher. Child care is cheaper, women with master’s and PhDs are likelier to be working. It’s often elder care, stuff that women are doing in homes where hiring someone else to do it allows them to enter the labor force. And that makes not just them more productive, it adds value to the entire economy.”

So, let’s Lean In on immigration reform!