Assessing immigrant policy options: labor market conditions and postreform declines in immigrants' receipt of welfare.
Researchers infrequently have focused on assessing the degree to which the changes in welfare policy legislated during the 1990s have affected immigrants' receipt of welfare. Using data from the March Current Population Survey, we analyze the contribution of local labor market conditions to the explanation of relative declines in immigrants' receipt of welfare from 1994 to 2000. The results of a series of models that included labor market-area and state fixed effects indicate that employment and unemployment rates across metropolitan statistical areas and states account for at least one-third of the observed relative decrease among immigrants. The policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Lofstrom
Magnus
M
University of Texas at Dallas, School of Social Sciences, P.O. Box 830688, Richardson, TX 75083-0688, USA. lofstrom@utdallas.edu
Bean
Frank D
FD
D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011640:Public Policy; D012106:Research; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States