The effects of official English laws on limited-English-proficient workers

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zavodny, M
• 署名单位: Federal Reserve System - USA
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF LABOR ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0734-306X
• DOI: 10.1086/209965
• 发表日期: 2000
• 页码: 427-452
• 关键词: language proficiency; hispanic men; earnings; wages

摘要

Workers with limited English skills may suffer adverse effects when states declare English the official language. If employers believe official English laws allow or require them to adopt workplace English-only rules that lower the demand for limited-English-proficient workers, such laws may harm individuals who do not speak English well, rising data from the 1980 and 1990 censuses, I estimate whether the earnings of limited-English-proficient workers who live in states that adopted official English laws declined relative to other workers. The results suggest a substantial decline in the annual earnings of men with limited English proficiency.