Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of low-skilled immigrant women on the labor supply of native women, focusing on the period from 2008 to 2015. The availability of low-skilled immigrant labor in domestic services such as cleaning and housekeeping areas affects the total number of hours worked by native women. There were multiple analyses used but the main type of data used was repeated cross-sectional data. This allows the research to examine the relationship between the share of low-skilled immigrant women in the labor market and the work hours of native women. Using the year-fixed effects allows the model to account for macroeconomic shocks and other time-specific factors that could influence labor outcomes. The results indicate that a higher share of low-skilled immigrant women in the labor market is positively associated with increased labor supply from women compared to the overall population. A 1% increase in the share of low-skilled female immigrants is associated with an increase of approximately 3.07 hours worked annually by native-born women per year. On the other hand, a 1% increase in the share of low-skilled female immigrants is associated with only a .5-hour increase in total native hours worked per year. This study builds on existing literature that highlights the role of low-skilled immigrant labor in enabling women to reenter the workforce. Further investigation into the ethical implications of relying on low-skilled immigrant labor for native women’s economic participation is also needed because this type of dynamic raises important questions about social and economic inequalities.

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