Mexican Immigrants: The Economic Dimension

The high rate of population growth in Mexico and the very wide gap in income and consumption per capita have encouraged an increasing migration of Mexican nationals to the United States. Recently legal immigration from Mexico has averaged about 58,000 persons per year. Illegal migration may also be substantial, but it is more difficult to quantify. About 1 million Mexican illegal aliens have been apprehended annually in recent years, with over 90 percent being apprehended at the border during or shortly after a surreptitious entry. Mexican immigrants, whether legal or illegal, tend to have very low skill levels as measured by years of schooling, English-language proficiency, or occupational skills. As a consequence their earnings in the United States are low relative to other immigrants and U.S.-born Mexican Americans; however, their earnings are high relative to their opportunities in Mexico. The earnings disadvantages of Mexican immigrants diminish with additional years in the U.S. labor market.