Essays in Applied Labor Economics: Immigrant Earnings and Welfare Reform: Dissertation Summary

In this dissertation, I analyze two distinct issues. In the first part, I use a new data source to address an old and rather controversial topic in labor economics: how well immigrants fare in the U.S. labor market. The second part is motivated by the recent overhaul of the federal welfare system and examines whether increased labor market participation by welfare recipients will displace employment or reduce the earnings of other low-skilled workers in the labor market. This is investigated through a study of the 1991 elimination of the General Assistance program in Michigan