Migrant workers and the systemic resilience of regional and seasonal industries

Abstract

There have been longstanding academic and political debates about the relationship between immigration policy and the institutions that regulate the labour market (e.g. Ruhs and Anderson 2010). Some studies have found that immigration negatively impacts the working conditions of resident workers (Borjas 2003). Others have found that immigration benefits the workforce by positively impacting wage growth and job creation (Dustmann et al. 2003). These outcomes are influenced in part by the extent to which labour market institutions and visa rules protect migrant workers and regulate the activities of their employers (Anderson 2010; Afonso and Devitt 2016).