The Economic Impact of Migrants from Hurricane Maria

We examine the economic impact of the large Puerto Rican migration into Orlando following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Using a synthetic control approach, we find non‐Hispanic employment increased in Orlando and positive aggregate labor market effects for less‐educated workers. The employment effect was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of human resources 2024-11, Vol.59 (6), p.1795-1829
Main Authors: Peri, Giovanni, Rury, Derek, Wiltshire, Justin C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Construction industry
Earnings
Economic impact
Employment
Hurricanes
Immigration
Labor market
Labor supply
Migrants
Migration
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Summary:We examine the economic impact of the large Puerto Rican migration into Orlando following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Using a synthetic control approach, we find non‐Hispanic employment increased in Orlando and positive aggregate labor market effects for less‐educated workers. The employment effect was particularly large in the construction sector. While we find that construction earnings decreased slightly, this was balanced by earnings growth in retail and hospitality. This is consistent with immigration having small negative impacts on earnings in sectors exposed to a labor supply shock, offset by positive effects in sectors impacted by an associated positive demand shock.
ISSN:0022-166X
1548-8004
DOI:10.3368/jhr.0521-11655R1