The Extent, Pattern, and Contribution of Migrant Labor in the NAFTA Countries
Author: Runsten, David; Hinojosa, Raul
Date Published: 2000
The North American agricultural labor market is becoming increasingly integrated in a manner parallel to the integration of North American goods and services markets. Whereas the large size of U.S. and Canadian goods and services industries allows them to dominate many of their Mexican counterparts, in contrast the relatively large supply of agricultural labor in Mexico is causing agricultural labor markets in the United States (and to a lesser extent in Canada) to become highly interdependent with those in Mexico, yet in increasingly unequal ways. This paper documents the current state of affairs in the North American agricultural labor market. It shows that while the U.S. agricultural labor market is becoming increasingly dominated by Mexicans, the gaps are widening with those workers that remain in Mexico with respect to wages, productivity, education, gender, child labor, and legal immigration status.
Date Published: 2000
The North American agricultural labor market is becoming increasingly integrated in a manner parallel to the integration of North American goods and services markets. Whereas the large size of U.S. and Canadian goods and services industries allows them to dominate many of their Mexican counterparts, in contrast the relatively large supply of agricultural labor in Mexico is causing agricultural labor markets in the United States (and to a lesser extent in Canada) to become highly interdependent with those in Mexico, yet in increasingly unequal ways. This paper documents the current state of affairs in the North American agricultural labor market. It shows that while the U.S. agricultural labor market is becoming increasingly dominated by Mexicans, the gaps are widening with those workers that remain in Mexico with respect to wages, productivity, education, gender, child labor, and legal immigration status.
