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"Essential" Migrants: Evidence from the 2020 H-2B Visa Lottery

Author

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  • Parag Mahajan

    (University of Delaware)

Abstract

I study how access to foreign-born workers impacts firms and local economics in times of acute crisis. The 2020 H-2B visa lottery randomly gave some U.S. firms the chance to hire low-wage, migrant workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using administrative data across three government agencies, I find that access to H-2B workers led to decreased business closures, increased revenues, increased payroll, and increased employment in 2020. I also find suggestive evidence that these effects spilled over to non-participant firms within the same county.

Suggested Citation

  • Parag Mahajan, 2025. ""Essential" Migrants: Evidence from the 2020 H-2B Visa Lottery," Upjohn Working Papers 25-414, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:upj:weupjo:25-414
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migrant workers; H-2B visa; COVID-19 pandemic; firm dynamics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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