XCPD-707 - Labor Migration: Permanent Settlers, Temporary Workers, and Unauthorized Migrants

Course Description

Migration in search of better employment and economic opportunities fuels most international mobility. This class examines the role of migrants in the labor market, making a careful distinction between the legal status of migrants with different migratory strategies and levels of skill. We examine the legal/policy forces that shape migrants' labor market outcomes, or their "assimilation," as well as the impact that migrants, in turn, have on the economy. We explore how US policies and their legal status affect their fortunes in the workplace and shape sectors of the economy. The sometimes conflicting research literature will be reviewed with an eye toward policy-relevant conclusions. Finally, the role of the US and other nations' admission systems in managing migrants' labor supply will be examined, including contemporary debates on how to best manage tomorrow's labor flows.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Examine the legal/policy forces that shape migrants’ labor market outcomes.
• Discuss the impact that migrants have on an economy.
• Explain how U.S. policies and migrants’ legal status affect their fortunes in the workplace and shape sectors of the economy.
• Examine the role of the US and other nations’ admission systems in managing migrants’ labor supply.

Notes

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Certificate in International Migration Studies : Required