Migration's impact on the native labor force is a major concern among politicians, policymakers, and the public, and is a key factor in shaping migration policy. Research shows that immigration and emigration have positive and negative implications for the native workforce, and that these often differ sharply from public perceptions and media coverage

1. Five common
fears about
immigration

2. Fear no. 1
Immigrants depress
the wages of native
workers

3. Most studies for
industrialized countries
have found no effect on
wages, on average, and
only modest effects on
wage differentials between
more and less educated
immigrant and native
workers.
Source: Peri, Giovanni wol.iza.org/articles/do-immigrant-workers-depress-the-wages-of-native-workers

4. Recent evidence shows that immigration is
likely to boost firm productivity and the wages
of native workers in the long run by
stimulating firm growth and contributing a
range of skills and ideas.
Source: Peri, Giovanni wol.iza.org/articles/do-immigrant-workers-depress-the-wages-of-native-workers

5. Fear no. 2
Migrants take the jobs
of native workers

6. They create new jobs by
increasing production, engaging
in self-employment, and easing
upward job mobility for native
workers.
Source: Constant, Amelie wol.iza.org/articles/do-migrants-take-the-jobs-of-native-workers
Migrants often complement
native workers or accept jobs
that natives don’t want or
can’t do.

7. The presence of immigrants increases demand
and can spur new businesses to open, creating
more jobs for immigrant and native
populations.
Source: Constant, Amelie wol.iza.org/articles/do-migrants-take-the-jobs-of-native-workers

8. Fear no. 3
Immigrants are attracted
by generous welfare
benefits

9. Contrary to the welfare magnet hypothesis,
empirical evidence suggests that immigration
decisions are not made on the basis of the relative
generosity of the receiving nation’s social benefits.
Source: Giuletti, Corrado wol.iza.org/articles/welfare-magnet-hypothesis-and-welfare-take-up-of-migrants

10. Evidence in some countries suggests that
immigrants exhibit less welfare dependency than
natives, despite facing a higher risk of poverty.
Source: Giuletti, Corrado wol.iza.org/articles/welfare-magnet-hypothesis-and-welfare-take-up-of-migrants

11. Fear no. 4
Immigration leads to
higher levels of crime

12. Most studies find that larger
immigrant concentrations in an
area have no association with
violent crime and, overall, fairly
weak effects on property crime.
Source: Bell, Brian wol.iza.org/articles/crime-and-immigration

13. However, immigrant groups that face poor
labor market opportunities are more likely
to commit property crime.
Source: Bell, Brian wol.iza.org/articles/crime-and-immigration
But this is also true of disadvantaged native
groups.

14. Fear no. 5
Immigrants will be a drain
on healthcare resources

15. There is growing evidence that immigrants
are more likely than natives to work in risky
jobs, as they are more inclined to take on
physically intensive tasks.
Recent studies show that as immigration
rises, native workers are pushed into less
demanding jobs.
Source: Giuntella, Osea wol.iza.org/articles/do-immigrants-improve-health-of-native-workers

16. New evidence using longitudinal data from
Germany shows that an increase in the share of
immigrants living in a local labor market
decreases the likelihood that natives will report
doctor-assessed disability and, more generally,
has a positive impact on native health.
Source: Giuntella, Osea wol.iza.org/articles/do-immigrants-improve-health-of-native-workers

17. For more articles on migrant-
native issues visit
wol.iza.org/migrant-native-issues