Peri & Card (2010) and later Ottaviano & Peri (2012) used U.S. Census data to demonstrate that low‑skill immigrants raise the marginal product of low‑skill local workers, while high‑skill immigrants boost the productivity of high‑skill locals. Their estimates show positive wage effects for locals in the same skill bracket.
Alessandro Caiumi & Giovanni Peri (2024) found that immigration increased wages of less‑educated local workers by 1.7‑2.6 % over 2000‑2019, with no significant crowding‑out of employment.
The Kauffman Foundation reports that immigrants are 1.5‑2 times more likely than locals to become founders of high‑growth firms. These firms employ local workers at rates comparable to local‑only firms, adding to overall job creation rather than subtracting from it.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017) concluded that “the overall impact of immigration on the wages of local workers is small and mixed, with positive effects for many groups and negligible effects for others.”
Simulations (Alessandro Caiumi & Giovanni Peri, 2024) consistently find that immigration raises total factor productivity (TFP) by introducing diverse human capital and fostering knowledge spillovers.
Higher TFP lifts the entire production possibility frontier, meaning the economy can produce more goods and services with the same amount of labor, to the benefit of all.
Tl;dr: The zero sum displacement narrative diverges from macroeconomic reality.
Peri & Card (2010) and later Ottaviano & Peri (2012) used U.S. Census data to demonstrate that low‑skill immigrants raise the marginal product of low‑skill local workers, while high‑skill immigrants boost the productivity of high‑skill locals. Their estimates show positive wage effects for locals in the same skill bracket.
Alessandro Caiumi & Giovanni Peri (2024) found that immigration increased wages of less‑educated local workers by 1.7‑2.6 % over 2000‑2019, with no significant crowding‑out of employment.
The Kauffman Foundation reports that immigrants are 1.5‑2 times more likely than locals to become founders of high‑growth firms. These firms employ local workers at rates comparable to local‑only firms, adding to overall job creation rather than subtracting from it.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017) concluded that “the overall impact of immigration on the wages of local workers is small and mixed, with positive effects for many groups and negligible effects for others.”
Simulations (Alessandro Caiumi & Giovanni Peri, 2024) consistently find that immigration raises total factor productivity (TFP) by introducing diverse human capital and fostering knowledge spillovers.
Higher TFP lifts the entire production possibility frontier, meaning the economy can produce more goods and services with the same amount of labor, to the benefit of all.
Tl;dr: The zero sum displacement narrative diverges from macroeconomic reality.