STEM Workers, H-1B Visas, and Productivity in US Cities

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Peri, Giovanni; Shih, Kevin; Sparber, Chad
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Davis; Colgate University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/679061
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: S225-S255
• 关键词: spillovers; education

摘要

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers are fundamental inputs for innovation, the main driver of productivity growth. We identify the long-run effect of STEM employment growth on outcomes for native workers across 219 US cities from 1990 to 2010. We use the 1980 distribution of foreign-born STEM workers and variation in the H-1B visa program to identify supply-driven STEM increases across cities. Increases in STEM workers are associated with significant wage gains for college-educated natives. Gains for non-college-educated natives are smaller but still significant. Our results imply that foreign STEM increased total factor productivity growth in US cities.