DO IMMIGRANTS BENEFIT FROM AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE RATE? AN ANALYSIS BY IMMIGRANT INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION

Using the monthly samples of the Current Population Survey (CPS) outgoing rotation group files, this paper analyzes the most recent increase in the U.S. minimum wage rate, primarily focusing on a group of workers that should benefit the most—immigrants. In particular, this study focuses on immigrant and native-born workers who are employed in industries with low and high immigrant concentrations. This paper also investigates whether there is any relationship between industry non-compliance and the concentration of immigrant workers. This study finds that both immigrants and natives benefited equally from this recent increase in the minimum wage rate. Also, the analysis shows no existing evidence of non-compliance towards immigrant workers. In fact, female immigrants in immigrant-intensive industries, who are the worst off in the sample, are the workers with the highest compliance towards them