Economic Development, Employment and Labor Issues

The American Dream Up for Sale: A Blueprint for Ending International Labor Recruitment Abuse
The International Labor Recruitment Working Group, February, 2013, 49 pp. + notes
This report details the problems, inefficiencies and abuses suffered by internationally recruited workers in the "dizzying array" of U.S. temporary work visa categories. It also provides comprehensive recommendations for reforming these critical areas of U.S. foreign labor policy. Among the 18 organizations comprising the report's publisher, the International Labor Recruitment Working Group, are the AFL-CIO, Centro de Derechos del Migrante, Global Workers Justice Alliance, and the Alliance for Ethical Recruitment. The working group finds that internationally recruited workers, in all visa categories and wage levels, face recruitment abuse such as fraud, discrimination, economic coercion, retaliation, blacklisting and forced labor; and in some cases, indentured servitude; debt bondage; and human trafficking. It also finds that disparate rules and requirements for workers, employers and recruiters together with lax enforcement of regulations allow and perhaps even incentivize recruiters and employers to engage in such abuses. The bulk of the report, therefore, makes recommendations on eight major issues that, if implemented, could repair the "systemic" problems that plague these programs. These include freedom from economic coercion, freedom of movement, employer accountability, access to justice, and the right to receive a contract with fair terms and to give informed consent. (Denzil Mohammed)

Immigrants, Ethnic Identities and the Nation-State,
Institute for the Study of Labor,
November, 2012, 38 pp.
Authors: Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann
Looking at immigrants as "natural innovators," this paper discusses the complex and malleable process of identity formation and its impact on individual adaptation, economic outcomes, and nation building. The authors explore the relationship between national and ethnic identities and how an immigrant's background along with the attitudes, laws, and history of host countries, combine to influence how immigrants adjust and adapt, as well as how the identities of natives are also negotiated and influenced by these factors. The authors further examine identity formation as it affects "the utility function of economic agents" and point to how a more complete understanding of the process can assist in building more accurate economic models. Additionally, the paper discusses how the ways in which states "negotiate identities" through specific policies can impact and influence the economic behavior of individuals. The authors examine evidence from several "multicultural" nations including France, Germany, Great Britain and the United States, contrasting the ideals and policies of these countries and their relationship to the labor market performance and identity development of immigrants within these nations. Finally, the authors conclude by noting the dubiousness of forming predictive models based on contextual and shifting categories of identity, and call for further research on identity formation and its consequences. (Daniel McNulty)

U.S. Government, Heal Thyself: Immigration Restrictions and America's Growing Health Care Needs,
National Foundation for American Policy, November, 2012, 27 pp.
This policy brief argues that the growing demand for health care services today and in the future necessitates a more efficient and adaptive immigration system to allow for foreign-born medical personnel to fill gaps in the U.S. health care delivery system. The report notes that "the United States is saddled with an immigration system designed to prevent, not facilitate, the entry of highly skilled...medical personnel." A restrictive immigration policy, decades-long wait times and a dearth of even temporary visas for a wide variety of medical professionals are leading to a shortage of workers for an industry that will need to be expanded given the aging U.S. population and the demands of the Affordable Care Act. The author laments the protectionism of the various professional associations that have opposed expansion of immigration opportunities for foreign-trained doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. He also challenges the "brain drain" argument used by opponents of increased immigration. The brief makes four recommendations: first, expand the number of employment-based green cards for foreign-born health care workers so that wait times are reduced; second, establish a temporary visa that facilitates the entry of foreign-born nurses; third, expand the Conrad 30 Program to include more physicians per state for underserved communities; and fourth, streamline state licensing and other procedures for foreign-born medical personnel to help with the nation's long-term health care needs.(Denzil Mohammed)

Growth and Immigration: A Handbook of Vital Immigration and Economic Growth Statistics,
George W. Bush Institute, November, 2012, 125 pp.
The 4% Growth Project of the George W. Bush Institute prepared this document for its inaugural Dallas conference on immigration policy held on December 4, 2012. Written by Matthew Denhart, the Handbook paints a sweeping portrait of America's immigrants to show their contribution to the U.S. economy and society, with special emphasis on the immigrant role in economic innovation and business creation. Utilizing the latest Census data and drawing on research published elsewhere, the Handbook features a series of 50 attractive charts, many of which are designed to show that "immigration reform is a key component to achieving strong and lasting economic growth." Written in easy-to-understand language, the report also offers many surprising facts, debunks myths and makes note of new trends in immigration. It points out, for example, that when more immigrants are present in the population natives are more likely to complete high school; that immigrants are an important component of urban revitalization because they help raise property values; and that recent immigrants to the U.S. have higher average levels of education than earlier waves of immigrants. The Handbook also contains a chapter on "challenges" associated with immigration, such as the soaring costs of border enforcement, poverty levels among immigrants, and the "anti-worker bias" built into our current immigration system.

Help Wanted: The Role of Foreign Workers in the Innovation Economy,
Information Technology Industry Council, Partnership for a New American Economy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, November, 2012, 32 pp.
This report presents evidence to show that foreign-born workers in the Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) fields are complementing - not displacing - their American counterparts. It also shows that the American economy is facing a STEM talent shortage that foreign-born workers, particularly those who are educated at U.S. graduate and post-graduate programs, can fill. Previous research has shown that for every foreign-born student who stays in the U.S., 2.62 jobs on average are created for American workers. Using data from the U.S. Census and the U.S. Department of Education Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS), this report clarifies several outstanding issues on which the U.S. Congress can take action. It also debunks many popular myths on the topic. It shows that while STEM fields employ a far higher proportion of foreign workers than non-STEM fields, those fields with high percentages of foreign STEM workers have low unemployment rates for U.S. workers. In fact, there is full employment for U.S. STEM workers according to the report and, in many STEM occupations, unemployment is virtually non-existent. Furthermore, foreign-born STEM workers are paid on par with U.S. STEM workers. (Denzil Mohammed)

Home Economics: The Invisible and Unregulated World of Domestic Work,
National Domestic Workers Alliance, Center for Urban Economic Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, DataCenter, 2012, 53 pp.
Described as "the first large-scale, national survey of domestic workers in the US," this report documents widespread mistreatment of domestic workers - nannies, housecleaners, and caregivers. The number of these workers employed in private households and directly paid by their employers grew from 666,435 in 2004 to 726,437 in 2010, an increase of almost 10 percent. According to the American Community Survey, the overwhelming majority (95 percent) are women, over half (54 percent) are from minority groups, and almost half (46 percent) are foreign-born. Noting that "household labor, paid and unpaid, is...the work that makes all other work possible," and that such labor "carries the long legacy of the devaluation of women's work in the household," as well as traditions dating back to slavery that exclude household labor from coverage under worker rights and safety legislation, the authors attempt to quantify the conditions and abuses faced by this group of workers. Between June 2011 and February 2012, the researchers, using a team of community-based surveyors, did face-to-face interviews in nine different languages with 2,086 domestic workers in 14 metropolitan areas. They also gleaned insights from 29 focus groups and 52 testimonies from members of domestic worker organizations. The findings paint a bleak picture of the situation facing these workers. For example, 70 percent are paid less than $13 an hour, fewer than 2 percent of domestic workers receive retirement or pension benefits, 60 percent spend more than half of their income on rent or mortgage payments, and 38 percent suffered from work-related wrist, shoulder, elbow, or hip pain during the prior 12 months. The authors offer a set of recommendations that could transform the working conditions of domestic workers, including eliminating the exclusion of domestic workers from employment and labor laws, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented workers, and "bold solutions" to the challenges facing families with caregiving responsibilities. We need to recognize that "household labor is a lynchpin connecting the economics of the home and the economics of the workplace."

Then and Now: America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs,
The Kauffman Foundation, October, 2012, 29 pp.
This report finds that the growth rate of high-tech, immigrant-founded startups - a critical source of innovation for the U.S. economy - has stagnated and may be on the verge of decline. This has happened despite the fact that such companies employed about 560,000 workers and generated an estimated $63 billion in sales from 2006 to 2012. The study finds that the proportion of immigrant-founded companies nationwide has slipped from 25.3 percent to 24.3 percent since 2005. The drop is even more pronounced in Silicon Valley, where the percentage of immigrant-founded startups declined from 52.4 percent to 43.9 percent. Defying this trend were Indian and Chinese immigrants, whose startup rates have increased. Indian immigrants, in fact, founded more of the engineering and technology firms than immigrants born in the next nine top countries combined. California had the highest percentage of total immigrant-founded firms in the country (31 percent), but New Jersey had the highest state percentage of immigrant-founded firms (45.1 percent), followed by Massachusetts (41.7 percent) and California (39.6 percent). The report also provides a breakdown of the specific industries in which immigrant founders are active, with the three largest being innovation/manufacturing-related services (45 percent), software (22 percent), and bioscience (11 percent). The report concludes that "high-skilled immigrants will remain a critical asset for maintaining U.S. competitiveness in the global economy" but that the downward trend in immigrant entrepreneurship may jeopardize future growth. (Denzil Mohammed)

The Economic Value of Citizenship for Immigrants in the United States,
Migration Policy Institute, September, 2012, 19 pp.
This study suggests that there are significant economic benefits for eligible noncitizens-numbering around eight million in the U.S.-to naturalize. These include higher salaries, a greater likelihood of employment and more access to highly skilled jobs. This gap between foreign-born citizens and noncitizens, the report finds, may be due to higher levels of education, English acquisition and work experience among naturalized Americans. Despite the advantages of citizenship, the cost of citizenship ($680), fear of failure in the English and U.S. history citizenship exams and a lack of knowledge about the naturalization process inhibit Legal Permanent Residents from acquiring citizenship status. To overcome these barriers, the authors suggest that formal immigrant integration policies, inclusive of proactive naturalization campaigns, will enable immigrants and the country as a whole to realize the benefits of naturalization, including greater levels of economic competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship. (Denzil Mohammed)

Immigrants in Risky Occupations,
Institute for the Study of Labor, June, 2012, 25 pp.
This study probes the variances in occupational risks for the native-born and foreign-born in the United States and other countries. The authors Pia M. Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny find that immigrants in the U.S., particularly Hispanics, are at much greater risk for injury or death while at work than the native-born. While overall workplace fatality rates in the U.S. decreased between 1992 and 2005, the fatality rate for foreign-born workers increased. In particular, the fatal injury rate for Hispanics in 2007 at 4.0 deaths per 100,000 workers was higher than for blacks and whites. The report suggests that the undocumented status of some immigrants, lower English ability, less education, naïve perceptions of job safety in the U.S. and less time residing in the U.S. all contribute to the concentration of immigrants in the riskiest occupational sectors, including mining, logging, agriculture and construction. Despite these vulnerabilities, most immigrants appear to earn risk premiums similar to natives for working in risky jobs. The authors conclude by urging further research on the impact of immigration on working conditions. (Denzil Mohammed)

Alice (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed): Study of Financial hardship in New Jersey,
United Way of Northern New Jersey, August, 2012, 109 pp.
Researched and written by Stephanie Hoopes, Director of the New Jersey DataBank at Rutgers University, this study analyzes the near-poor or working poor in New Jersey, described by the author as "the people...who live each day one crisis away from falling into poverty." They make more than the official poverty level, but less than what "an individual or family needs to sustain a reasonably healthy standard of living." The author finds that more than one-third of all households in New Jersey (1.1. million) struggle to meet basic human needs; 769,900 are ALICE households and 312,762 are poor households (below the official poverty level). The services that ALICE workers provide, such as health aides, security guards, and cashiers, are "vital to the New Jersey economy." Although this study does not disaggregate immigrants as a sub-set of the ALICE population, it does note that particular groups of immigrants, e.g. those lacking a high school diploma and those who are language isolated, are more prone to this type of income deprivation. The study calculates that the "household survival budget" in New Jersey is $58,500 for a family of four and $25,368 for a single individual. As low income jobs will "dominate the economy in New Jersey now and in the future," the author observes that "the traditional formula of more education and training to generate better and more equitable outcomes does not hold true in today's economy." Although there are short-term steps that may alleviate the plight of ALICE households, "structural economic changes are required to make New Jersey more affordable and provide better income opportunities."

Investing in the Human Capital of Immigrants, Strengthening Regional Economies,
Brookings Institution, September, 2012, 11 pp.
This paper stresses the importance of maximizing the productivity of the existing immigrant population in order to boost short- and long-term economic growth in the United States. The author Audrey Singer notes that immigrant workers are more likely to be underemployed, i.e. overqualified for current jobs, than similarly educated native-born workers, especially immigrants with post-secondary education. Noting the growing interest in reforming immigration policy to match the needs of the U.S. economy, she suggests that "the opportunity to take advantage of the skills of incumbent immigrants, by investing in their potential" is a complementary and equally promising strategy. The balance of the paper provides capsule summaries of innovative workforce development programs that have successfully pursued this strategy. Many of these programs provide clear pathways to occupationally-specific credentials and jobs, building in contextualized English language instruction along the way.

Open for Business: How Immigrants are Driving Small Business Creation in the United States,
The Partnership for a New American Economy, August, 2012, 37 pp.
Written by Robert W. Fairlie, Professor of Economics at the University of California (Santa Cruz), this report focuses on the creation of new businesses, defined as business under five years old. Fairlie reports that new businesses have been responsible for all net job creation in the U.S. over the past three decades and that "immigrant businesses are having an enormous impact on the U.S. economy." Immigrants are more than twice as likely as the native-born to start a business. In 2011, they were responsible for 28 percent of all business start-ups, well in excess of their share of the population (12.9 percent). Moreover, immigrants are active in those sectors of the economy that the U.S. government expects to grow the fastest over the new decade, starting 25 percent of all companies in these sectors. Immigrants from all ethnic and educational backgrounds are contributing to this economic activity. Mexicans, for example, now own more than 570,000 U.S. businesses, representing more than 1 in every 25 businesses in the country. In addition, more than 37 percent of new immigrant business owners lack a high school diploma. As a whole, immigrant-owned businesses employ one out of every 10 U.S. workers. The report concludes that "any serious plan on job growth much recognize and welcome immigrant entrepreneurs, who in the coming years will play an outsized role...in creating new businesses, creating new jobs, and driving economic growth." The report includes many helpful tables and charts, including data on immigrant business formation by state.

Developing a Road Map for Engaging Diasporas in Development,
Migration Policy Institute and International Organization for Migration, 2012, 256 pp.
Since the first meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in 2007, governments and civil society organizations have devoted increasing attention to the ways that diasporas - defined as "communities of emigrants and their descendants" in this report - have contributed to development in their countries of origin. Many governments, in both countries of origin and destination, have established partnerships with diaspora communities to facilitate the development process. This Handbook is designed as "a user-friendly, accessible, and practical guide on the state of the art in governmental diaspora initiatives." The authors gathered data and perspectives from an international survey of government officials, follow-up interviews, consultations at international meetings, and a review of the literature. They recommend a planning framework ("road map") consisting of the following elements: "identifying goals, mapping diaspora geography and skills, creating a relationship of trust between diasporas and governments... and, ultimately, mobilizing diasporas to contribute to sustainable development." The Handbook explores the contributions that diasporas have played in the six key areas of remittances, direct investments, human capital transfers, philanthropic contributions, capital market investments, and tourism. It also details the policy and program initiatives that have maximized diaspora contributions in each of these areas.

Picking Winners: Olympic Citizenship and the Global Race for Talent,
The Yale Law Journal, June 30, 2011, 52 pp.
This paper discusses the "striking transformation of citizenship" in the modern world - a transformation that has received "scant attention in academic circles." Written by Ayelet Shachar, Professor of Law, Political Science & Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, the paper examines the growing willingness of governments to grant citizenship in order to attract people of exceptional talent and ability. This practice has "turn(ed) an institution steeped with notions of collective identity, belonging, loyalty, and perhaps even sacrifice into a recruitment tool for bolstering a nation's standing relative to its competitors." In his analysis, the author uses the world of Olympic sports as a test case and "window" to explore the broader implications of the practice. He uses the term "Olympic citizenship" to apply to fast-tracked, strategic grants of citizenship to bolster the competitive standing of national teams - referred to as "talent poaching" by some critics. He proposes a solution -- called the "Fair play mobility principle" -- that steers a middle course between unbridled competition and abolition. This solution might require international sporting authorities to impose a one-year residency rule before any foreign national could compete for a new country, or to impose "play-stay" rules, in which a player who has already represented the home country in an official international competition would not be permitted to play for another national team, even if citizenship were granted by the new country. Shachar sees his essay as raising a host of new issues in a world where nation-states are jockeying for competitive advantage in many different economic sectors, not just sports. The "mercantilization of the passport" could "erode something deeper - the basic social and political relationships we hold towards one another as members of the same polity..."

Immigrant Small Business Owners: A Significant and Growing Part of the Economy,
Fiscal Policy Institute, June, 2012, 32 pp.
This compendium of data about immigrant small business owners is drawn from the Survey of Business Owners, conducted by the Census Bureau every five years. The immigrant share of small business owners in the U.S., at 18 percent, is higher than the immigrant share of the U.S. population (13 percent). Defined as firms with less than 100 employees, immigrant small businesses employed an estimated 4.7 million people, and generated an estimated $776 billion in receipts in 2007. The report examines the educational background of immigrant small business owners, reveals the industries in which they operate, and identifies their countries of origin. "It is clear," the report concludes, "that immigrants are an important part of America's small business environment. Immigrants bring ideas, connections to new markets, and a spirit of entrepreneurship with them to the United States."

Undocumented Workers: Crossing the Borders of Immigration and Workplace Law,
Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, May 14, 2012, 39 pp.
The author, Professor Kati L. Griffith of Cornell University, suggests that a new "hybrid" field of the law has emerged - what she describes as immployment law, a blending of immigration and employment law. She argues that this is a "crucial field of inquiry" because of the sheer number of undocumented workers in the American economy; their concentration in particular industries, such as agriculture and construction; the frequency with which they experience minimum wage and overtime violations; the tendency of some employers to take retaliatory action when immigrant workers organize or file complaints; and the spread of state and county workplace-based immigration law. The author discusses the shift in federal policy away from workplace raids to worksite audits, and to greater cooperation between ICE with the Department of Labor. She also discusses the implications of the Supreme Court decision in Hoffman Plastics Compounds v NLRB in 2002, which ruled that an undocumented worker could not have access to back pay remedies available under the National Labor Relations Act. According to the author, "the treatment of immigrant workers, documented and undocumented alike, may have broader effects on the wages, working conditions, and collective organizing efforts of U.S.-born workers." She concludes that "scholars, courts, and policy makers should develop comprehensive immployment law frameworks that can resolve ongoing legal ambiguity about the workplace law remedies available to undocumented workers."

New Jersey's Supply Chain Pain: Warehouse & Logistics Work under Walmart and other Big Box Retailers,
New Labor, 2012, 22 pp.
Based on a survey of 291 logistic workers, this report analyzes wages, benefits and working conditions within New Jersey's logistics industry. Home to Port Newark/Elizabeth -- the second largest container port in the U.S. -- New Jersey has an extensive network of distribution centers employing thousands of workers, many of whom are immigrants. Responsible for the processing and sorting of goods as they make their way to retail markets throughout the country, most workers experience job insecurity, economic hardship, and exploitation. Approximately 90 percent of workers fail to make a living wage and most lack employer based health insurance. The report notes that a majority of logistics workers are indirectly employed through staffing agencies, a situation which exacerbates problems for these workers. One key finding is that Walmart, the country's biggest retailer, occupies a prominent position among companies active in driving down wages and perpetuating poor working conditions. Finally, the report points to explicit gender discrimination in hiring, illegal payroll deductions, wage theft, and a variety of occupational health and safety issues, all of which negatively impact the working conditions and well-being of logistics workers. The paper concludes with a call for legislative changes and suggests action steps in order for lawmakers, enforcement bodies and civic advocates to develop a deeper understanding of the industry, empower workers, and provide the response needed to uphold accountability and improve conditions within the sector. (Daniel McNulty)

Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners, and their Access to Financial Capital,
Robert W. Fairlie, Ph.D., for the Office of Advocacy, US. Small Business Administration, May, 2012, 46 pp.
Drawing on specially commissioned tabulations from the 2007 Survey of Business Owners, as well as information from the 2010 Current Population Survey, the author of this report paints a detailed portrait of immigrant business owners in the U.S. Not only is the business ownership rate higher for immigrants than non-immigrants (10.5 percent for immigrants vs. 9.3 percent for the U.S. born), but the rate of business formation per month is even higher: 0.62 percent for immigrants (or 620 out of 100,000), compared to 0.28 percent (or 280 out of 100,000) for non-immigrants. Immigrant-owned businesses are also more likely to export than non-immigrant owned businesses (7.1 percent of immigrant firms compared with 4.4 percent of non-immigrant). The author speculates that "higher levels of exports among immigrant owned firms may help these firms succeed in the long run and help to improve the U.S. trade imbalance with the rest of the world." The author also observes that the rate of business formation among immigrants, as among non-immigrants, rises during periods of recession but declines during periods of economic growth. However, "in the Great Recession there appears to be an even greater response of starting businesses among immigrants than among non-immigrants, which may have to do with lower-skilled workers having more difficulty in finding jobs." Finally, the author suggests that barriers to business formation and expansion experienced by immigrants may be costly to the overall growth and productivity of the U.S. economy "especially because immigrants represent an increasing share of the total population and have a proclivity towards entrepreneurship."

Not coming to America: Why the U.S. is Falling Behind in the Global Race for Talent,
The Partnership for a New American Economy & The Partnership for New York City, May, 2012, 48 pp.
This report paints a bleak picture of U.S. competitiveness in the "global talent rush." Many nations now see immigration as an essential element in their national economic strategy. Detailing the policy reforms implemented by major developed countries in recent years to attract highly skilled immigrants, as well as the efforts of sending countries, such as China and India, to provide incentives to expatriates and their children to return home to start new business ventures, the report laments the failure of the United States to develop a strategic vision for its immigration policy and to reform an "antiquated" immigration system crafted nearly 50 years ago and no longer functional in the modern world. Noting major shortages of native-born talent in key STEM areas, low growth in the domestic labor force coupled with an aging population, and the important role played by immigrants as innovators and entrepreneurs, the report calls for reform of an "incoherent" and "irrational" American immigration system. The report concludes by suggesting that six commonsense ideas should underlie future immigration policy: "any university graduate with an advanced degree in an essential field should automatically be eligible for a green card...award more green cards based on economic needs...scrap the limits on high-skill H1B visas...give seasonal and labor-intensive industries access to foreign workers when they cannot fill the jobs with Americans...allow local governments to recruit more immigrants to meet regional needs."

Immigrant Workers in the U.S. Labor Force,
The Brookings Institution and Partnership for a New American Economy, March, 2012, 18 pp.
This study examines the number and role of immigrants in four low-skilled and four high-skilled sectors of the American economy: accommodation, agriculture, construction, food services, healthcare, high tech manufacturing, information technology, and life science. Using data from the 2010 Current Population Survey and the 2010 American Community Survey, the author finds that "immigrants and native-born workers tend to work in different jobs within both high- and low-skilled industries." The most striking examples of this complemtarity may be found in the agriculture, accommodation, and construction sectors. In the accommodation sector, for example, immigrants are found in large numbers in "back of the house" occupations such as building and housekeeping cleaners, whereas native-born workers are found in "front of the house" occupations such as desk clerks and managers. In information technology, the two top occupations for immigrants are computer programmers and managers, whereas the two top occupations for native-born workers are computer support specialists and network systems and data communication analysts. According to the author, as the native-born population continues to age, "the labor force will increasingly depend upon immigrants and their children to replace current workers and fill new jobs."

Data Reveal High Denial Rates for L-1 and H-1B Petitions at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
National Foundation for American Policy, February, 2012, 19 pp.
The author of this report analyzes and bemoans the growing denial rates for skilled professionals in non-immigrant temporary visa categories. In the H-1B category, for example, available to foreign nationals who have the equivalent of a college degree or higher and who are working in specialty occupations, the denial rate increased from 11 percent in FY 2007 to 21 percent in 2010. In addition, the application process has become more burdensome and time-consuming, with “skyrocketing” numbers of “Requests for Evidence” or RFEs slowing down the processing time and causing employers to refrain from applying in the first place. In addition, the reports finds that a disproportionate number of Indian professionals have been refused visas. According to the author, this situation is “harming the competitiveness of U.S. employers and encouraging companies to keep more jobs and resources outside the United States.”

Promoting Ethnic Entrepreneurship in European Cities,
European Union, 2011, 125 pp.
This report attempts to map the landscape of immigrant entrepreneurship in 28 cities of the European Union. It finds wide variations in rates of entrepreneurship depending on local conditions and circumstances. The report notes that "entrepreneurship is not an important part of the European integration policy for migrants" but that many European cities are beginning to experiment with innovative approaches to promoting entrepreneurship. Such approaches not only facilitate self-employment, but also the employment of other immigrants and the native-born population. The report identifies the barriers that face immigrant entrepreneurs, whether lying within the structures, rules or regulations of political authorities or whether related to deficits in the skills and training of potential entrepreneurs. The authors catalogue the wide range of programs available to aspiring entrepreneurs, whether aimed at the general population or immigrants in particular, and conclude with a series of recommendations for policy makers at all levels of European governance designed to "close the gap" in immigrant entrepreneurship between the EU and the United States.

The Future of a Generation: How New Americans Will Help Support Retiring Baby Boomers,
Immigration Policy Center, February, 2012, 7 pp.
This report is a succinct review of major demographic trends that are altering the age distribution of the population, both in the US and globally, and that will have profound implications for immigration policy for many years to come. Written by Walter A. Ewing, the report notes that birth rates are declining all over the world, even in traditional immigrant source countries like Mexico and India; people are living longer; and that by 2030, there will be 1 billion elderly people, constituting one-eighth of the world's population. In the US, the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation over the course of the next two decades will lead to a doubling of the elderly (65+) population from 40.2 million to 88.5 million in 2050. The age distribution of the U.S. population would be even more skewed toward the elderly were it not for the arrival of new immigrants, coupled with their higher birth rates, which tends to bolster the ranks of the working-age population. Immigration notwithstanding, the number of working-age adults for every elderly person declined from 7.5 in 1950 to 5.0 in 2000 and is projected to drop to 2.8 in 2050. The author concludes that "policymakers would be wise to take a much more purposeful and strategic approach to immigration: legally admitting those immigrants who can help take the place of retiring baby boomers in the labor force, care for the growing ranks of elderly Americans, and shore up the Social Security and Medicare systems with their tax dollars."

Immigrant Professional Integration: Federal Policy Recommendations,
IMPRINT, January, 2012, 7 pp.
IMPRINT - a coalition of five nonprofit organizations working nationally and locally to advance effective policy and practice in the emerging field of immigrant professional integration - developed this set of 11 recommendations for consideration by the executive branch of the federal government. The recommendations are divided into two broad areas: closing the information gap in order to help immigrant professionals make informed decisions about available career paths, and improving access to workforce services. Recommendations in the former area include: the creation of "an online site for newcomers to obtain accurate and timely employment guidance" and "the development of a clearinghouse of credentialing-related information." Recommendations in the latter area include: the issuance of a "policy guidance affirming skilled immigrants' eligibility for existing services," and the use of "policy guidance, regulatory authority, and/or discretionary funding to create incentives for expanded services to this population."

Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Creating Jobs and Strengthening the Economy,
Immigration Policy Center and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, January, 2012, 13 pp.
This report reviews a number of studies on immigrant entrepreneurship conducted by the Public Education Institute of the Immigrant Learning Center and other researchers. Written by Marcia Drew Hohn, Director of the Institute, the report finds that immigrant entrepreneurs help to "create jobs and strengthen the economy" but their pivotal role in the economy "remain(s) largely unacknowledged in economic development policy and planning." The report notes that immigrant entrepreneurs "come from all walks of life," and indeed "some lack significant educational credentials" and start businesses to avoid the trap of low wage jobs. Yet they all render valuable services, whether creating a neighborhood business or introducing a major technological innovation. The report concludes with five policy recommendations, including the elimination of "red tape" in visa processing, and allowing graduate students in STEM fields to remain in the U.S. to fill skilled labor positions or create startup ventures.

Monitoring International Labor Recruitment: A cross-Visa Exploration of Regulatory Challenges,
Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, 2011, 39 pp
This report was prepared as a supplemental resource for the first meeting of the International labor Recruitment Working Group that took place at George Washington University on October 17-18, 2011. It provides a capsule summary of all the non-immigrant visa programs used to employ temporary, foreign workers in the United States. The report focuses on weaknesses in the regulatory framework for each program. Among the programs covered in the report are: B-1 (personal or domestic workers), H-1B (specialty occupations), H-2A (seasonal agricultural workers), H-2B (seasonal non-agricultural workers), and J-1 (exchange visitor program).

What Do Immigrants Do When They Can't Practise Their Professions? Immigrant Professionals in the Ontario Settlement Service Sector,
CERIS - The Ontario Metropolis Centre, December, 2011, 43 pp.
Pointing out that three options confront foreign-trained immigrants when they are unable to practice their chosen professions: exit (returning to home country or going to another country), de-professionalization, and professional rebuilding, the author of this study explores how a group of 155 well-educated immigrants took the third option by taking positions within Ontario immigrant/refugee service organizations. Through the use of a detailed survey and follow-up interviews, the author gains insight into the motivation and experiences of this admittedly non-random sample of the immigrant professional population. Opportunities for employment in this sector opened up as "ethnocultural affinity with the service provider" came to be understood as an important criterion for hiring. At the same time, the sector did not raise other insurmountable barriers to entry. If the field, however, were to become a "full-fledged profession," with the imposition of workforce training standards and licensure requirements, then a "hardening of the boundaries" within the field would limit access and raise again the thorny issue of immigrant access to the professions. The paper also provides a short review of Canadian efforts to facilitate the entry of skilled immigrants into the workforce.

Our American Immigrant Entrepreneurs: The Women
Immigration Policy Center (IPC), December, 2011, 16 pp.
The contents of this IPC "special report" are drawn from the book, Immigration and Women: Understanding the American Experience (New York University Press, 2011). Noting that the rising rate of immigrant women entrepreneurship (9 percent in 2010) now exceeds the 6.5 percent rate of native-born women, and that of all immigrant entrepreneurs in 2010, 40 percent were women, this report seeks to reveal the particular experiences and challenges faced by women business owners and the contributions they are making to their communities and to the economy as a whole. Many women started businesses "to repair their damaged self-esteem from underemployment and exploitation." Many cited the inspiring example of women business owners in their home countries. Some sought independence from abusive relationships. One strand of the report discusses how these women scraped together the resources to start their businesses. Finally, the report concludes with "advice and suggestions" from women business owners themselves. This report, and the book upon which it is based, seeks to understand the "gendered qualities" of migration.

Immigration and American Jobs,
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research and the Partnership for a New American Economy, December, 2011, 23 pp.
This study seeks to answer a question often overlooked in the economics literature, i.e. the impact of immigration on jobs in the United States, and even more importantly, the impact of specific types of immigrants on job formation. A simplistic "supply and demand" model might suggest that immigrants with similar skills displace US natives. An alternative model might suggest that immigrants complement US-born workers, helping to boost employment in sectors of the economy occupied by native-born workers. As the report suggests, this question is "ultimately an empirical one." Using 2000 to 2010 data from the Current Population Survey of the Census Bureau, the report examines the size of specific cohorts of immigrants within each of the states and then compares that number with the number of jobs created in those states during the period in question. Among the findings are the following: immigrants with advanced degrees from US universities who work in STEM fields "dramatically boost employment for US natives." For every 100 such immigrants, there are 262 additional jobs created for US natives. The study also looks at three temporary workers programs: H-1B visas for skilled workers, H-2A visas for seasonal agricultural workers, and H-2B visas for seasonal nonagricultural workers. All programs appear to be positively related to improved employment outcomes for US-born workers. The report explores the policy implications of these findings. It bemoans the fact that only 14 percent of the green cards issued each year are allocated based on employment, compared to 25 percent in Canada, 42 percent in Australia, and almost 60 percent in the United Kingdom and Germany. Arguing that "immigration policy can help fix the economy," the report calls for "more permanent and temporary visas for highly educated immigrants, especially those in STEM fields, and expanded programs for both skilled and less-skilled temporary foreign workers."

Immigrant Founders and Key Personnel in America's 50 Top Venture-Funded Companies,
National Foundation for American Policy, December, 2011, 21 pp.
This study examines the important role played by immigrants in launching and sustaining leading venture-funded companies within the U.S. The author found that immigrants started nearly half of America's top 50 venture-backed companies, and that 76 percent of all companies employ an immigrant in either a key management or product development position. Relying on biographical data and interviews, the author profiles fourteen companies and the immigrant entrepreneurs and employees that have been integral to their growth and success. Throughout, the report reflects the importance of immigrants in "driving growth and innovation in America," and concludes with a call for policies to attract and retain global talent within the United States. (Dan McNulty)

Adult Children of Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Memories and influences,
The Immigrant Learning Center, in collaboration with researchers at the Institute for Asian American Studies, University of Massachusetts, November, 2011, 53 pp.
Based on a series of 10 focus groups with 36 adult children of Asian and Hispanic immigrant entrepreneurs, this study attempts to understand the family dimensions of the entrepreneurial experience and its lasting influence in the lives of the second generation. The participants in the study were graduate students ranging in age from 21 to 32. Many of them attributed their work ethic to the example set by their parents. Many learned useful interpersonal skills helping out with the family business. Many felt obliged to repay the sacrifices made by their parents to give them a better future. Among the conclusions of the report: "there is little doubt that these children understood, respected and were often deeply affected by the struggles and accomplishments of their parents."

Rebooting the American Dream: The Role of Immigration in a 21^stCentury Economy,
Immigration Policy Center (IPC),
November, 2011, 20 pp.
This "special report" provides a digest of selected research on the economic impact of immigration on the American economy. According to these studies, immigrants tend to complement rather than displace American workers on both the high and low ends of the immigration skills spectrum, thereby spurring overall growth and creating opportunities for native-born workers. Moreover, immigrants are more entrepreneurial than native-born workers, with one study finding that immigrants are more than twice as likely to start businesses as native-born workers. However, the IPC report suggests that the current US immigration system is antiquated and not designed to derive maximum economic advantage from the energy and talents of immigrants. Indeed, many talented foreigners trained at American universities, frustrated by long delays in obtaining visas, are returning home to start businesses in their home countries - businesses that may one day compete in the global market. The report concludes with a short section on family-based immigration, which through the social capital of family relationships and networks, also spurs economic growth.

Welcome to Canada. Now What? Unlocking the Potential of Immigrants for Business Growth and Innovation,
Deloitte, November, 2011, 25 pp.
This "White Paper Summary" of Deloitte's 2011 Dialogue on Diversity is based on a series of nine roundtable discussions with employers, community organizations, special interest groups, government agencies and immigrants across Canada. According to Canadian government statistics, immigrants are expected to account for all net labor and population growth in years to come. Although foreign-born workers are essential to grow the Canadian economy, the talents and skills of immigrants, according to the white paper, continue to be underutilized while immigrants face disproportionately higher unemployment rates. The paper suggests that the foreign-born are uniquely qualified to benefit employers by bringing greater diversity into the workplace - a development that can drive the innovation needed to compete in a global market. Yet, despite arriving in Canada with the training and education necessary to fill market gaps, barriers to entering the workforce keep immigrants underemployed. These include: a lack of Canadian experience, lack of connections, language, and unrecognized foreign credentials. The paper concludes with an action plan for better integration of immigrants into the labor market with specific recommendations in the areas of recruitment, internship opportunities, mentoring, developing cultural connections, use of employee resource groups, and employee training programs. (Dan McNulty)

Migration and Occupational Health: Understanding the Risks,
Migration Policy Institute, October 11, 2011, 6 pp.
Adapted from an article that appeared in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, this article by Marc B. Schenker summarizes available data on fatal and non-fatal injuries suffered by immigrant workers in the U.S. As immigrants are over-represented in so-called ‘three D" jobs (dirty, dangerous, and difficult), they tend to experience higher rates of injury than the native-born population. The author, however, laments the absence of research data on the nexus between immigration and occupational injury (only 48 articles on immigrant occupational health appeared between 1990 and 2005) and reviews the methodological challenges involved in conducting such research. The author calls for efforts to understand the nature and causes of immigrant occupational health disparities in order to develop appropriate public policy responses.

Immigration and Poverty in America's Suburbs,
The Brookings Institution, August, 2011, 20 pp.
This paper examines the phenomenon of suburban poverty, with particular attention to immigrant poverty. Noting that the majority of the nation's poor in the 100 largest metropolitan areas now live in the suburbs, the authors observe that "it is no longer useful to think of central cities as the primary locations of poverty in America, surrounded by concentric suburban rings of predominantly white and affluent populations." There are now 2.7 million foreign-born poor in the suburbs, representing ca 20% of all suburban poor. The authors conclude that "suburbs with little or no experience with either immigration or poverty face complex and unfamiliar public policy challenges."

The Economic Integration of Immigrants in the United States: Long- and Short-Term Perspectives,
Migration Policy Institute, July, 2011, 16 pp.
This paper describes the occupational niches and contributions of diverse groups of immigrants and their children within the U.S. economy. The author devotes special attention to the impact of the global economic crisis on the economic prospects of immigrants. Although the workplace in the U.S., in contrast to other immigrant-receiving countries, has traditionally functioned as "one of the country's most powerful immigrant-integrating institutions," the author suggests that the uncertain economic outlook "could realign the economic and social forces that have historically propelled the intergenerational upward mobility of immigrants (and natives)." In addition, budget cuts on the federal, state, and local levels, especially in the area of public education, could weaken "the public and community-based institutions and programs that historically promote upward intergenerational mobility among the children of immigrants."

Labor Standards Enforcement and Low-wage Immigrants: Creating an Effective Enforcement System,
Migration Policy Institute (MPI), July, 2011, 68 pp.
This report analyzes the labor law enforcement records of the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administration, with particular attention to wage and hour laws and industries with high concentrations of immigrant workers. The report identifies best practices in labor law enforcement and suggests closer coordination between federal and state agencies working in this area. The report also presents findings from an MPI survey of state resources, priorities, and initiatives in labor standards. Among the policy recommendations in the report are the following: deterring violators by pressuring dominant or lead employers in an industry or geographic area; status-blind enforcement; creating new metrics less driven by complaints filed and resolved; combating the misclassification of employees as independent contractors; and leveraging the resources of other public and private agencies. Finally, the report recommends a study to determine whether increased labor law enforcement would lead to a decrease in unauthorized employment and migration. If such a study showed such an effect, then immigration enforcement resources might be diverted to labor standards enforcement.

Eight Policies to Boost the Economic Contribution of Employment-Based Immigration,
Migration Policy Institute, June, 2011, 10 pp.
The authors of this paper contend "that successful economic-stream immigration systems are transparent and flexible, create predictable outcomes, and remain open to constant adaptation and experimentation." In order for immigration to be a "powerful tool for supporting a country's economic growth and prosperity," the following policies should be implemented: temporary-to-permanent visa pathways, streamlined immigration for the most skilled workers, special policies to retain top foreign students, allowing employers to "pierce" numerical limits or other limits through the payment of special fees, regional and local engagement in the admission process, the use of independent research to review and adjust immigration systems, and the development of effective immigrant integration programs because "integration outcomes are a key measure of the success of any national immigration policy, and such outcomes can be tracked and used as a feedback mechanism for determining needed adjustments to immigration laws."

Measures of Immigrant Integration in Los Angeles County,
Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, University of Southern California, and Rob Paral and Associates, June, 2011, 17 pp.
Seeking to overcome the limitations of standard point-in-time comparisons of immigrants and native-born groups, the author of this report tracks the progress of a cohort of Los Angeles County immigrants who entered the U.S. during the 1980s and who were between the ages of 25 and 34 at the time of the 1990 census. Snapshots of this group are taken in 2000 and 2006-08. Data is also disaggregated for the eight largest immigrant communities in the County. Among the observed variables are: educational gains (high school and college completion rates), poverty levels, rates of home ownership, and family income. There are many positive developments during this period, including a "sharp drop in immigrant poverty levels" and a climb in immigrant home ownership. However, few immigrant groups were able to narrow the gap in family income between themselves and native-born whites, and college completion rates remain low for some of the largest immigrant communities, e.g. only 5.4% of Mexicans had college degrees by the end of the study period.

The Geography of Immigrant Skills: Educational Profiles of Metropolitan Areas,
Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program, June, 2011, 32 pp.
This report observes that the U.S. has reached an important milestone: the percentage of working-age high-skilled immigrants (defined by the authors as those with a bachelor's degree or higher) now exceeds the percentage of low-skilled working-age immigrants (defined as those without a high school diploma). However, the distribution of high-skilled immigrants varies widely across the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. The report groups these 100 areas into three categories: low-skill destinations, i.e. fewer than 75 high-skilled immigrants for every 100 low-skilled immigrants; balanced-skill destinations, i.e. ratios of 75 to 125, and high-skill destinations, i.e. more than 125 high-skilled immigrants for every 100 low-skilled immigrants. Most low-skilled destinations are located in the southwest border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and in the Plains States, where agricultural processing centers make heavy use of low-skill labor. High-skill destinations are found along the coasts, in large college towns, and in older industrial areas, such as Cleveland, Pittsburg, and St. Louis. Balanced-skill destinations, such as New York, Atlanta, and Charlotte, predominate in Eastern and Southern states. The report notes that almost half of high-skilled immigrants, across all destinations, appear to be over-qualified for their jobs, suggesting a systemic waste of human capital that needs to be addressed by policy makers. The report concludes with a series of policy recommendations designed to maximize the contribution of immigrants to economic recovery and stabilization.

Policies to Curb Unauthorized Employment,
Migration Policy Institute, May, 2011, 10 pp
Written by MPI policy analyst Madeleine Sumption, this policy brief offers a sobering analysis of the policy options available to governments seeking to reduce the hiring of unauthorized workers. The author concludes that "a comprehensive approach has the greatest potential for success." Such an approach would combine stronger sanctions against illegal hiring with some expansion of legal flows of low-skilled workers, along with stronger enforcement of basic labor law standards. However, fiscal and budgetary constraints may make it difficult to implement such an approach, and even if implemented, some employers, particularly small employers operating entirely in the informal economy, may fail to comply.

Immigration Myths and Facts,
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, May, 2011, 9 pp.
In an effort to counteract misinformation about the impact of immigration on American society, the Chamber's Labor, Immigration & Employee Benefits Division prepared this pamphlet to "refute seven of the most common myths about immigrants coming to our country." The pamphlet attempt to "summarize the facts on the relationship of immigrants to Jobs, Wages, Taxes, Population, Crime, Integration, and Welfare." The Chamber's review "shows that immigrants significantly benefit the U.S. economy by creating new jobs, and complementing the skills of the U.S. native workforce, with a net positive impact on wage rates overall."

Migrant Social Networks: Vehicles for Migration, Integration, and Development
Migration Policy Institute, March 30, 2011, 6 pp.
This short “primer” on migrant social networks is intended to enrich the “policy discourse” on this subject. Written by Prof. Maritsa V. Poros of City University of New York, the article notes that social networks “make migration possible” in the first place and create their own vibrant labor markets. Noting that governments are beginning to invest in the capacity of migrant networks to foster development in home countries, she calls attention to the potential of migrant networks to facilitate the economic and social integration of newcomers.

Unauthorized Immigrant Population: National and State Trends, 2010,
Pew Research Center, February 1, 2011

This statistical analysis of the undocumented population updates previous annual reports published by the Pew Research Center. At 11.2 million in 2010, Pew's estimate of the national total of undocumented immigrants remains largely unchanged from 2009. During the previous two years (2007-2009), however, the number had declined from a high of 12 million in 2007. The 2010 numbers, however, show significant variations among the states. The decline in unauthorized numbers was especially great in New York and Florida, while increases occurred in Texas and Louisiana. New Jersey had an estimated 550,000 unauthorized immigrants in 2010, including 400,000 in the workforce, representing 8.6% of the total state workforce - the 4th highest percentage in the country.

Immigration Policy and Less-Skilled Workers in the United States: Reflections on Future Directors for Reform,
Migration Policy Institute, January 2011, 26 pp
This study by economist Harry J. Holzer, former Chief Economist for the US Department of Labor, reviews findings from the research literature on the benefits and costs of low-skilled immigration, i.e. immigration by those with a high school diploma or less. His point of departure is the well-publicized debate between economists David Card of the University of California and George Borjas of Harvard, who have differed over the extent to which immigrant workers compete with native-born workers. Holzer finds "limited negative impact" on native-born workers, but somewhat greater negative impact on earlier cohorts of foreign-born workers. On the other hand, benefits of less-skilled migration accrue to employers, and to consumers in all income brackets. The paper concludes with some discussion of the implications of research findings for future immigration reform. Among the author's conclusions: "In all, it is hard to make the case that the current volume of unskilled immigration to the United States is too high and needs to be sharply curtailed." Holzer also recommends charging employers who hire less-skilled immigrant workers "some modest fees to offset short-term fiscal costs," as well as adjusting admission levels based on macroeconomic conditions. He also advocates steps to legalize the undocumented already in the U.S., while stemming any new unauthorized flows.

All Work and No Pay: Day Laborers, Wage Theft, and Workplace Justice in New Jersey,
Immigrants' Rights/International Human Rights Clinic, Center for Social Justice, Seton Hall University School of Law, January, 2011, 24 pp
Building on a 2010 study of day laborers in Newark, Seton Hall researchers have expanded the scope of the earlier study to examine the experience of 113 day laborers at pick-up sites in Elizabeth, Freehold, Morristown, Orange, and Palisades Park. Over the course of a single year, 54% of the workers statewide were paid less money than they were promised by at least one employer, and 94% were never paid overtime if they worked more than 40 hours per week for the same employer. Twenty-six percent were assaulted on the job and 35% were abandoned at a work site. There were wide variations among communities in levels of noncompliance with labor laws. In general, communities like Elizabeth, without advocacy groups championing the interest of day laborers, had much higher violation rates. Despairing of any meaningful assistance from an understaffed and financially strapped NJ Department of Labor, the authors of the report propose a "more robust criminal wage theft statute," which would facilitate the filing and prosecution of complaints with local municipal courts. The report includes the text of a model statute.

Human Trafficking and Business: Good Practices to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking,
United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, 2010, 62 pp.
Noting that "human trafficking is not currently well integrated into the Corporate Responsibility (CR)programmes of most brands, companies, and business associations," this report presents an overview of human trafficking, explains why trafficking is an important issue for business, and profiles companies doing exemplary work in this area. According to data in the report, there are over 2.4 million people world-wide who are victims of forced labor as a result of human trafficking, of whom the majority are between the ages of 18 and 24. The ILO estimates that 43 percent work in forced commercial sexual exploitation, and 32% in forced economic exploitation. In addition to the sex trade, the following sectors have significant rates of forced labor: agriculture; construction; garments and textiles; hospitality; mining, logging, and forestry; food processing and packaging; transportation; and domestic service. The publication features six detailed case studies covering the work of the following companies or trade associations: International Cocoa Initiative (West Africa); Manpower, Inc (Colombia); the Apparel Export Trade Council (India); the tourism industry (world-wide); Public Private Partnerships organized by the International Organization for Migration (India); and the Body Shop International (world-wide).

The Role of Migrant Care Workers in Ageing Societies: Report on Research Findings in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and the United States,
IOM International Organization for Migration, 2010, 79 pp. (There is a separate study on the U.S. alone published in 2009)
This report looks at qualitative and quantitative data from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States, examining the role played by migrant workers in caring for the elderly. Due to changing demographics, i.e. growth in the aging populations and a relative decline in the working age populations, compounded by the undervaluing of care work in general, these developed nations have witnessed rapid growth in the demand for labor within the eldercare market. The report points to how both skilled and unskilled migrants from developing nations are used to fill labor shortages, along with some of the policies, conditions, and processes favoring the disproportional employment of foreign-born workers within the care economy. The report also examines the challenges faced by both employers and migrants in the workplace; for employers, lack of certain skill sets, limited English proficiency and cultural awareness can all lessen the ability of migrants to connect with the elderly and perform their jobs effectively; for migrants, discrimination, poor working conditions, and isolation can present serious problems. The report finds that the four countries under study mostly lack the legal framework needed to ensure a steady, secure, and quality workforce within the long-term care sector. The authors conclude with a series of policy recommendations, suggesting that improving conditions and compensation for work in eldercare is essential to retaining quality care whether provided by migrants or natives. (Dan McNulty)

Injustice on our Plates: Immigrant Women in the U.S. Food Industry,
Southern Poverty Law Center, 2010, 64 pp.
This report aims to shine a light on the suffering and indignities experienced by the many undocumented female workers in the American food industry. A majority of the 150 women interviewed for this study endured sexual harassment and assaults while working in the fields, packinghouses or food processing plants. Few are willing to report incidents to employers or police, for fear of losing their jobs or being deported. Working for poverty wages, they have no access to government programs to help the poor, nor do they typically receive health care coverage, sick or vacation time, or unemployment compensation. The report also chronicles the heavy toll of work-related illnesses and injuries sustained by workers in the food and meat-processing industries in the U.S. They are exposed to pesticides, blistering heat in the fields, and cold in the packinghouses. The report concludes with a series of recommendations to Congress and various federal agencies to end the "shameful exploitation" of "the most vulnerable workers in our country."

Overcoming the Barriers Faced by Immigrants
A Briefing Report by the New Jersey State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, September 2010, 25 pp.
One of 50 state advisory committees, charged with advising the federal Commission on Civil Rights about issues in their states that fall within the Commission's jurisdiction, the NJ Advisory Committee held a hearing on May 8, 2009 "to address the most pressing civil rights issues affecting immigrants in New Jersey." The committee convened three panels of stakeholders and experts to give testimony in the areas of state and local enforcement of immigration laws, housing and employment discrimination, and the immigrant experience. This report includes summaries of the testimony and concludes with seven findings and recommendations, including the adoption of a "fair labor enforcement plan of action" to address the under-enforcement of labor and workforce safety regulations involving immigrants.

Still an Hourglass? Immigrant workers in Middle-Skilled Jobs (Report in Brief)
Migration Policy Institute, September, 2010, 17 pp.
This report casts doubt on the depiction of the immigrant workforce as an hourglass, noting that almost a quarter (24%) of immigrants in 2006 were working in "middle skill" jobs compared to 29% of native-born Americans. Middle-skilled jobs are defined as "jobs that require more than a high school but less than a four-year college degree and that typically pay a family-sustaining wage ($30,000 annually per worker). In three of four specific occupations analyzed in the report (healthcare, IT, and hospitality), the percent of immigrants actually exceeded that of native workers. One possible reason, according to the authors, may be the overrepresentation of immigrants with college and advanced degrees in these jobs as a result of their inability to meet credentialing requirements in higher skilled occupations.

Ten Economic Facts About Immigration,
The Hamilton Project, Brookings, September, 2010, 16 pp.
Seeking "to provide a common ground that all participants in the policy debate (on immigration) can agree on," the authors provide a succinct and non-technical summary of available research on 10 key economic questions, including the impact of immigration on the living standards of native-born Americans; gains or losses to federal, state and local budgets caused by immigration; assimilation trends among immigrants and their children; immigrant contributions to business formation and patent filing; and whether immigrants disproportionately burden U.S. correctional facilities.

Ironbound Underground: Wage Theft & Workplace Violations Among Day Laborers in Newark's East Ward,
Immigrant Workers' Rights Clinic, Center for Social Justice, Seton Hall University School of Law, July, 2010, 25 pp

Modeled after the influential 2004 National Day Labor Study, this report illuminates the experience of some 55 largely Ecuadorian day laborers at a "shape-up" site in Newark. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents had completed high school, and 54% were married. Almost all respondents reported being victims of wage theft, with "substantial" losses ($800 or more annually ) experienced by 38% of workers. Safety violations were also rampant. Many workers possess "a profound fear of retribution by employers," who often threaten to report immigration problems to ICE if the workers file formal complaints against employers. The authors of the report, echoing the sentiments of all people interviewed for the project, including public officials and the day laborers themselves, recommend that the City of Newark establish a hiring hall for day laborers to alleviate these problems.. The report further urges the NJ Department of Labor to "proactively" investigate the plight of day laborers in Newark and to work with law enforcement to prosecute violators.

The Impact of Immigrants in Recession and Economic Expansion,
Migration Policy Institute (MPI), June, 2010, 23 pp.
Written by Giovanni Peri (University of California, Davis) for MPI's Labor Markets Initiative, this paper charts the short- and long-term effects of net immigration on the employment and incomes of native-born workers in the United States. While most economists have shown a positive correlation over the long-run (say ten years), few have studied the short-term effects. During periods of economic weakness, Peri finds that net immigration over a one to two year period "seems to crowd out less-educated native workers." In order to mitigate these negative effects, Peri suggests that our immigration system should be more responsive to labor market conditions. Peri makes the interesting observation that some degree of adjustment already occurs, but not with family-based migration, which remains constant even in recessionary times, but in the number of legal and unauthorized immigrants who return to their countries during periods of recession. Indeed, over the last 20 years, he estimates that on average 1.5% of the foreign born population, or 600,000 people, has returned to their home countries each year. Admission numbers, he suggests, should be set to compensate for this loss and with a view toward the long-range benefits of immigration on the economy. Finally, he argues that a sufficient number of visas, perhaps 40% of the total, should be made available for less-skilled immigrants as they "appear(s) to bring benefits for the aggregate economy without harming the wages of less-educated natives in the long run."

"It's Not Just About the Economy, Stupid" - Social Remittances Revisited,
Migration Policy Institute, May 21, 2010, 6 pp.
This short paper explains the concept of social remittances, defined as the exchange of "ideas, know-how, practice and skills" between immigrants and their home country communities of origin. Using examples drawn from the experience of Dominican immigrants in Boston, the authors explain that social remittances can have both positive and negative impacts. The paper concludes with the observation that "migration research needs to span migrants' origin and destination countries and go beyond economic considerations to include the social and cultural."

The Impact of Immigration and Immigration Reform on the Wages of American Workers,
New Policy Institute, May, 2010, 22 pp
Written by Dr. Robert J. Shapiro, a former Undersecretary of Commerce in the Clinton Administration, this report includes a demographic analysis of the immigrant population in the United States, highlighting occupational niches and educational attainment, and devoting special attention to the position of the undocumented. The report reviews available studies exploring the economic impact of immigration, both legal and undocumented, on the incomes of native-born immigrants and on the economy as a whole. Among findings of note: "undocumented male immigrants have the highest labor force participation rate of any group in America principally because, compared to the native born, undocumented immigrants are twice as likely to be in households with spouses and children." According to the author, evidence indicates that comprehensive immigration reform would reverse any adverse impacts of undocumented immigration on the wages of low-skilled legal workers, both native-born and immigrant.

Across the Spectrum: The Wide Range of Jobs Immigrants Do,
Fiscal Policy Institute, April, 2010, 19 pp.
Looking at the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, this report examines the occupational distribution of immigrants. Analyzing data from the 2006-2008 American Community survey, the researchers find that immigrants are distributed "surprisingly evenly" across various occupational categories. Indeed, in 13 of the 25 metropolitan areas, there are more immigrants working in the mostly higher-wage professional or white-collar jobs than in mostly lower-wage service or blue-collar jobs. However, metropolitan areas with a preponderance of higher skilled immigrants, such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and St. Louis, have lagged in economic performance behind cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Minneapolis, where the majority of immigrants work in service or blue-collar jobs. Whether low-skilled immigration is a cause or consequence of economic growth can be debated, but the notion of low-skilled workers as a drag on the economy seems flawed.

Getting Your Professional License in Ontario: The Experiences of International and Canadian Applicants: Final Report
Office of the Fairness Commissioner, February 11, 2010, 82 pp + appendices
In 2007, the Province of Ontario created the Office of the Fairness Commissioner to ensure that licensing procedures for regulated professions, such as engineering and healthcare, did not discriminate against foreign-trained immigrants. In 2008, the Office undertook a comprehensive research study to understand the experiences of both native-born and foreign license applicants. This report, based on survey responses from 3,784 people across 37 regulated professions, as well as input from five focus groups, and a literature review, summarizes the findings. A key recommendation is that regulatory bodies need to make their procedures clearer and more transparent, a reform that would be welcome by all applicants, whether native-born or international.

Financial Literacy Programs for Immigrants,
Municipal Action Guide, National League of Cities, Winter, 2010, 3 pp
This primer explains the rationale for developing financial literacy programs for immigrants, describes various program types, contains links to useful resources, and gives examples of successful programs.

Immigration and Wages: Methodological Advancements Confirm Modest Gains for Native Workers,
Economic Policy Institute, Briefing Paper, February 4, 2010, 29 pp.
As immigration flows have surged in the U.S. in recent years, there has been great interest in the labor market impact of immigration on native-born Americans. Although most economists agree that immigration has had a small but positive impact on the wages of native-born Americans overall, researchers differ as to whether specific categories of native-born Americans, e.g. those without a high school education, have been adversely affected by immigration. Looking at data from 1994 to 2007, this study disaggregates the native-born population by age, gender, and education level, and finds that the positive trend is fairly uniform through all sub-groups of native-born workers. The only group experiencing a downward trend in wages is earlier immigrants, who presumably compete more directly with newer immigrants. However, the data doesn't permit a breakdown of the immigrant population by type of status, e.g. undocumented vs. undocumented, or type of visa, so, as the author acknowledges, key questions remain unanswered by this study.

Raising the Floor for American Workers: The Economic Benefits of Comprehensive Immigration Reform,
Center for American Progress and Immigration Policy Center, January, 2010, 25 pp.
This paper makes the counter-intuitive argument that the current enforcement-only approach to irregular migration, has failed to deter illegal migration, "wasted billions of taxpayer dollars," and created "a host of unintended consequences," including spurring the growth of human smuggling operations, choking off "circular migration," and propping up low-wage labor markets "and ironically, creating a greater demand for unauthorized workers." Noting that Mexico is undergoing "one of the fastest declines in fertility ever recorded in any nation," as evidenced by the increasing age of apprehended immigrants, the author suggests that population pressure as a driver of migration from Mexico will likely diminish in the future. The author also reviews research conducted on the economic impact of the 1986 legalization program; evaluates the economic consequences of three different reform scenarios; and concludes that a comprehensive approach, providing a pathway to legalization, will "generate an annual increase in U.S. GDP of at least 0.84 percent," while "boost(ing) wages for both native-born and newly legalized immigrant workers."

Immigrants and the Economy: Contribution of Immigrant Workers to the Country's 25 Largest Metropolitan Areas,
Fiscal Policy Institute, December, 2009, 42 pp.
Produced with support from SEIU Local 32BJ, this report finds that immigrants in major U.S. metropolitan areas contribute to the economy in proportion to their share of the local population. The authors also observe that "economic growth and growth in the immigrant workforce go hand in hand," although the question of cause and effect remains unclear. The report also notes that immigrants work in jobs across the economic spectrum and earn wages that are comparable to native-born workers in most categories. One notable exception is blue collar jobs, where immigrants earn considerably less. In the service sector, earnings are low both for immigrants and native-born workers. Even though immigrants make up 20% of all union members in the 25 metro areas, the unionization rate for immigrants is lower than for native-born workers - 10% compared to 14%. In addressing these problems, the report suggests "setting a higher standard for the earnings of workers," particularly in the service and blue collar sectors, with obvious implications for union organizing.

The Economics and Policy of Illegal Immigration in the United States,
Migration Policy Institute, Labor Markets Initiative, December, 2009, 16 pp.
This paper highlights the importance of unauthorized immigrant workers as a source of low-skilled labor in the American labor market, especially in the agriculture, construction, food processing, building cleaning and maintenance sectors. The author reviews the positive and negative impacts of illegal migration on the American economy and its workers. Observing that such labor was "unofficially tolerated" in the United States up to 2006, recent efforts to control illegal immigration may be undermined by renewed demand for low-skilled labor during future periods of economic growth, a demand that cannot be easily satisfied by a better educated and less flexible domestic labor force. Noting that sufficient legal visas are currently unavailable to satisfy the need for low-skilled workers, the author suggests that Congress would have to "revamp entirely the manner in which employment visas are allocated" if it is serious about reducing future illegal inflows.

Tied to the Business Cycle: How Immigrants Fare in Good and Bad Economic Times
Migration and the Global Recession,
Migration Policy Institute, September, 2009, 127 pp
This report updates an earlier MPI study seeking to gauge the impact of the global recession on world migration trends. The authors find that people are generally staying put, i.e. not leaving home countries, nor returning, except paradoxically in certain E.U. countries like Ireland and the United Kingdom, that permit the free flow of migrants from countries in eastern Europe. In the U.K., for example, almost half the 1.4 million Eastern Europeans who came during the period between May 2004 and March 2009 have returned. The report notes "a significant deterioration in immigrant employment rates...across a wide number of countries," including among Mexicans and Central Americans in the United States. Other sections of the report discuss the internal movement of migrants in countries like China, the results of "pay-to-go schemes" in countries like Spain and Japan, and trends in remittances.

Human Development Report 2009, Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development,
United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 2009, 229 pp.
Since 1992, the UNDP has commissioned annual Human Development Reports to focus global attention on key development issues. For the first time in its history, UNDP has chosen to focus its 2009 report on the link between mobility and development. Noting that "conventional approaches to migration tend to suffer from compartmentalization," the authors view migration in its broadest context, looking at the roughly 1 billion people who move each year, including the estimated 740 million who are "internal migrants," the 214 million who are regular (legal) international migrants, and the 50 million who are irregular international migrants. So-called "north-south migration," the authors note, is not as prevalent as many think. Nearly half of all international migrants move within their region of origin and about 40 percent move to a neighboring country. The authors propose a "six-pillar" package of reforms intended to "maximize the human development impact of migration," including opening up more legal channels for international low-skilled migration, fewer barriers to internal migration, and ensuring basic rights for migrants everywhere.

Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers: Violations of Employment and Labor Laws in America's Cities,
Center for Urban Economic Development (University of Illinois at Chicago), National Employment Law Project, UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, 2009, 65 pp.
Based on a survey conducted in 2008 with a representative sample of over 4,000 low-wage workers in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, 70% of whom were immigrants, this report concludes that "the core protections that many Americans take for granted - the right to be paid at least the minimum wage, the right to be paid for overtime hours, the right to take meal breaks, access to workers' compensation when injured, and the right to advocate for better working conditions - are failing significant numbers of workers." The authors stratify their data by particular industries, as well as by place of birth (foreign-born or native-born), gender and ethnicity. They also extrapolate from their data the extent of "wage theft" for the broader low-wage population, estimating that in one week alone, more than 1 million workers in the three cities have at least one pay-related violation, resulting in a loss of $56.4 million per week. The authors believe that conditions have likely worsened as the recession deepened in late 2008.

Fulfilling the Promise: Integrating Immigrant Skills into the Urban Economy,
Cities of Migration, Archived Webinar, July 28, 2009
This one-hour international webinar features a presentation by Elizabeth McIsaac, Executive Director of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, a ground-breaking initiative to integrate skilled immigrants into the urban economy. The work of the Council is designed to make Toronto more economically competitive in the North American environment. With over 50 corporate partners, the Council works on both the individual and systemic level to effect change. To date, the Council has arranged over 4000 mentorship opportunities for immigrants. Another project called "Career Bridge" provides paid immigrant internships. Samples of TV ads used by the Council are included in the webinar. The Council's approach is now being replicated across Canada through a program called Allies, Inc. (http://www.maytree.com/integration/allies.). Another presenter discusses how the program is being implemented in New Zealand.

As Immigrants Move In, Americans Move Up,
Free Trade Bulletin No. 38, Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute, July 21, 2009, 9 pp.
Authored by Daniel Griswold, the Director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies, this policy brief argues that there is a causal relationship between immigration since 1990 and poverty reduction in the United States, particularly among native-born African-Americans. "For every poor immigrant family we 'imported' during that time, more than three native-born families were 'exported' from poverty." He also argues that the nature of the "underclass" has changed. "Members of today's more immigrant and Hispanic underclass are more likely to work and less likely to live in poverty or commit crimes..." Griswald urges Congress to reject "misguided fears about 'importing povery'" and to "pursue a policy of expanding legal immigration for low-skilled workers.."

Massachusetts Immigrants by the Numbers: Demographic Characteristics and Economic Footprint,
The Immigrant Learning Center, June, 2009, 51 pp.
Prepared by researchers at the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, this report offers a sweeping view of the immigrant population in the State of Massachusetts. Unlike other recent state-level reports on immigration, this study digs deeper into the data by differentiating between "established" and "recent" immigrants, i.e. those in the U.S. less than 10 years. The report analyzes the educational attainment and occupational profile of immigrants; examines income, sales, and property tax payments by immigrants; provides data on transfer payments; and reviews rates of immigrant institutionalization in juvenile facilities, correctional institutions, and nursing homes. Overall, the report paints a favorable picture of immigrant contributions to the state.

Untying the Knot, Part I, The Unemployment and Immigration Disconnect,
Immigration Policy Center, May, 2009, 12 pp.
Untying the Knot, Part II, Immigration and Native-Born Unemployment Across Racial/Ethnic Groups;
Immigration Policy Center, May, 2009, 12 pp.
In this series of special reports, the Immigrant Policy Center finds no apparent connection between high levels of recent immigration and unemployment. Indeed, there appears to be an inverse relationship between the two, i.e. in areas with high levels of recent migration, unemployment rates are lower than in rural areas or in the former great industrial centers of the Midwest, where there are fewer immigrants. Part II focuses on the impact of immigration on native-born minorities, particularly African-Americans. One noteworthy finding is that in the ten states with the highest percentages of recent immigrants, the average unemployment rate for native-born blacks is about 4 percentage points lower than in the 10 states with the lowest percentages of recent immigrants. The authors conclude that the presence of immigrants is a function of the job-creating strength of the local economy, and that the causes of unemployment should be sought elsewhere.

Assessing the Economic Impact of Immigration at the State and Local Level,
Immigration Policy Center, April 28, 2009, 5 pp.
This brief reviews 16 studies completed since 2002 that suggest that immigrants in general - and the undocumented specifically - make a positive net contribution to state economies, particularly if the lifetime contributions of immigrants are taken into consideration.

A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States,
The Pew Hispanic Center, April 14, 2009, 42 pp.
In this comprehensive study, researchers from the Pew Hispanic Center found that unauthorized immigrants are 4% of the U.S. population and 5.4% of its workforce. Although more widely dispersed throughout the country than in the past, unauthorized immigrants continue to settle in high numbers in states like New Jersey, New York, Florida, Illinois, and Texas. Pew estimates that New Jersey's unauthorized population increased from 400,000 in 2005 to 550,000 in 2008, while the unauthorized share of the state's labor force increased from 6.4% to 9.2%, or 425,000 workers. Nationally, two-thirds of unauthorized immigrants work in the service, construction, and production sectors. In addition, 47% of unauthorized immigrants ages 25 to 64 have less than a high school education, as compared with 8% of U.S. born-population in the same age category.

Immigrant Workers in the Massachusetts Health Care Industry: A Report on Status and Future Prospects,
The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc., March, 2009,
65 pp.
This report examines the contribution of immigrants to the Massachusetts health care industry -- "the most important employment sector of the Massachusetts economy with almost half a million workers." The report treats immigrants not only as a source of labor in crucial segments of the industry (the quantitative factor) but also as workers skilled in bridging the language and cultural barriers that often impede the delivery of quality health care to diverse patient populations (the qualitative factor). In this sense, the authors contend that foreign-born health care workers "add value to the quality of health care for everyone." In addition, the report notes a strong correlation between the presence of immigrants in local labor markets and the concentration of health care infrastructure in certain communities. Examining specific occupational profiles, the authors note that immigrants tend to cluster at the upper end (e.g. 51% of medical scientists and 40% of pharmacists) and lower end (36% of health technologists and 33% of aides) of the health care employment market in the state. Beyond official statistics, the report also notes the importance of immigrants in the "gray market" of workers hired directly by individuals and families. Finally, the report urges public and private investments in workforce development programs aimed at incorporating foreign-born health care workers into the health care industry and devotes one section of the report to "promising practices and programs" designed to achieve this goal.

Report on Port Truckers' Survey at the New Jersey Ports,
School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University, February, 2009, 38 pp.
Through extensive interviews with 299 truck drivers operating as "independent contractors" in the ports of Newark, Elizabeth, and Bayonne, and focus groups with another 70 truckers, the authors of this report found general dissatisfaction with low pay, sub-standard benefits, and unsafe working conditions. Describing port trucking in Newark as a "broken system," the authors assert that port operators are "externalizing the costs of the port system," by forcing the public to cover the cost of health problems associated with environmental pollution from old and poorly maintained diesel fueled trucks. The authors also contend that these practices "add billions of dollars to the cost of doing business in New Jersey." Two-thirds of the 7,000 drivers in New Jersey are Latino immigrants.

Immigrants and the Current Economic Crisis: Research Evidence, Policy Challenges, and Implications,
Migration Policy Institute, January, 2009, 31 pp.
This report analyzes available data, including a review of migration patterns during earlier economic crises, to reach some preliminary conclusions about the impact of the economic downturn on future immigrant inflows and outflows. Legal immigrants who entered the country on family reunion visas and humanitarian entrants are less likely to leave the country than irregular migrants, although even the latter have incentives to remain, especially if tightened security on the southern border prevents their return later and job opportunities become available elsewhere in the United States. The report finds that low-wage immigrants may be particularly vulnerable to economic hardship, because of their disproportionate presence in hard-hit industries like construction and their lack of eligibility for safety net services, if undocumented or in legal status for less that five years.

Estimating the Contribution of Immigrant Business Onwers to the U.S. Economy,
Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration, November, 2008, 35 pp.
This study examines how immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to U.S. business ownership, formation, and income. It includes national and state-level statistics, as well as data by nationality and industry category. Immigrants constitute 12.5% of all business owners in the United States, but more than 20% in the states of California, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York.

Uneven Progress: The Employment Pathways of Skilled Immigrants in the United States,
Migration Policy Institute, October, 2008, 66 pp.

This report examines the plight of 1.3 million college-educated immigrants who are unemployed or working in unskilled jobs. An important explanatory factor is the non-recognition of foreign academic and professional credentials by state and local government. Contending that this situation represents a "serious waste of human capital," and noting that the problem is most severe for Latino and African immigrants, the report discusses model programs in other countries to address this problem. The report also proposes a research agenda on the subject, including an effort to quantify the economic costs of underemployment, a study to determine the impact of discrimination, and a systematic effort to catalog best practices.

Report of the Joint Enforcement Task Force on Employee Misclassification to Eliot Spitzer,
Governor State of New York, February 1, 2008, 29 pp.
In September 2007, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer created an interagency strike force consisting of six agencies to address the problem of employers who wrongly classify employees as independent contractors or pay workers off the books as part of the underground economy, thereby depriving workers of the benefits and protections guaranteed under state and federal law. Immigrant workers are particularly vulnerable to these practices. This report looks at the history of the task force initiative, including research supporting the need for such a group, and discusses initial actions and prosecutions by each of the partner agencies. The report concludes with a series of "lessons learned," along with a discussion of logistical and legal issues hampering the work of the Task Force, including data sharing restrictions and inconsistent worker classification policies among the partner agencies.

Unregulated Work in the Global City: Employment and Labor Law Violations in New York City,
Brennan School of Justice, New York University School of Law, 2007, 126 pp.
This report summarizes the results a groundbreaking, multi-year study of widespread labor law violations in New York City. According to the authors, conditions are so egregious that the Progressive/New Deal social contract "has broken down." Most workers in this "invisible economy" are immigrants, both documented and undocumented. The report identifies 13 different industry clusters where "unregulated work" is common and includes detailed reports on each industry. Finally, the report defines basic principles to guide public policy reform.

Principles for an Immigration Policy to Strengthen & Expand the American Middle Class,
Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, 2007 Edition, 28 pp.
This report argues that any debate over immigration policy must be tied to a discussion of the dilemma of the American middle class in general. A two-tiered job market exploiting the labor of undocumented immigrants is detrimental to the interests of U.S.-born workers. The report proposes a two-part test for evaluating current immigration reform proposals.

Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the Massachusetts Biotechnology Industry,
Immigrant Learning Center in collaboration with researchers at Boston University, June, 2007, 15 pp.
This report argues that immigrants have been key contributors to the creation of new businesses and intellectual capital in the Massachusetts biotechnology industry. Among the more noteworthy conclusions are: 25.7 percent of Massachusetts companies in this industry have at least one foreign-born founder; these companies produced over $7.6 billion in sales and employed over 4,000 workers in 2006; the founders come from nations across the globe, but with a preponderance from Europe, Canada or Asia; and the companies are largely involved in developing disease treatments or studying the "map" of the human genome. The immigrant entrepreneurs, therefore, tend to specialize in the most complex, risky, life science-intensive aspects of biotechnology to seek knowledge directly applicable to human health.
(Abstract reposted through agreement with the Immigrant Learning Center and the Immigration Research and Information web site)

Implementation of Diversity Management Programs in Public Organizations: Lessons from Policy Implementation Research,
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, 2006, 23 pp.
As the U.S. population changes, with more women, ethnic and racial minorities, and people with disabilities employed in public organizations, the challenge of diversity management within these organizations takes on increased importance. This paper, written by David W. Pitts, seeks to understand the impact of personnel diversity on organizational outcomes. The paper discusses the history of diversity policy and reviews the research bearing upon its effectiveness. The author concludes with five general lessons that can be learned from the research, namely: ensuring that sufficient resources are dedicated to the effort; clearly defining program components; framing the initiative in terms of organizational benefit, not individual benefit; maintaining clear and credible communication; and gaining support from all levels within the organization. Noting the paucity of research on what works (and doesn't) in diversity management, the paper concludes with a call for further research.

The Integration of Immigrants in the Workplace,
Institute for Work and the Economy, July, 2006, 60 pp.
This report summarizes the findings of a two-year project funded by The Joyce Foundation to identify effective ways to integrate immigrants into the workforce. Input was received from a national Advisory Committee of 41 individuals, and participants in 7 community forums. The report is organized according to the 7 major lessons learned by the project, one of which is that "strategies directed explicitly at immigrants must be components of a broader range of initiatives that support the entire workforce." The report is noteworthy for its attention to the diverse backgrounds and needs of immigrants, including both lower skilled immigrants and foreign-trained professionals.

On the Corner: Day Labor in the United States (Executive Summary),
January, 2006, 36 pp.
Funded in part by two national foundations, this report is one of the first in-depth studies of day laborers in the United States. It is based on a national survey of 2,660 day laborers randomly selected at 264 hiring sites in 20 states and the District of Columbia. The report provides a wide range of demographic information, including wages, working conditions, family circumstances, and occupations.

Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Neighborhood Revitalization,
Study prepared for the Immigrant Learning Center by the Mauricio Gaston Institute and the Institute for Asian American Studies,
University of Massachusetts, Boston, December, 2005, 49 pp.

This report examines the impact of immigrant entrepreneurs on three neighborhoods in Boston: Allston Village, East Boston, and Fields Corner, as well as on the cities of Lawrence and Lowell The study finds that immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to the economy and quality of life of the neighborhoods they serve in the following ways: reviving commerce and investment in areas that had declined, providing needed products and services, addressing the particular needs of distinctive ethnic niches, expanding beyond those niches, incubating new businesses; attracting new customers, providing some employment opportunities, improving the physical quality and appearance of buildings and surrounding areas, and enhancing public safety (Abstract reposted through agreement with the Immigration Research and Information web site).

Worker Centers: Organizing Communities at the Edge of the Dream,
Economic Policy Institute, December 14, 2005, 24 pp.
This briefing paper by Janice Fine summarizes the findings of a major research study on more than 100 immigrant worker centers published by Cornell University Press. Worker Centers are defined as "community-based and community-led organizations that engage in a combination of service, advocacy, and organizing to provide support to low-wage workers." Unlike traditional immigrant service organizations, worker centers emphasize organizing and advocacy as lynchpin activities. The author discusses the commonalities in their operation and the challenges faced by the centers.