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Madeline Zavodny

University of North Florida, USA, and IZA, Germany

IZA World of Labor gives policymakers a unique platform for accessing up-to-date research on key economic issues. It’s also a great resource for academics and students, and I’m delighted to be able to contribute to it

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Professor of Economics, University of North Florida, USA

Research interest

Labor economics, economic demography, economics of the family, immigration

Website

http://bit.ly/Zavodny_IZApage

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Expert on the economics of immigration for the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress and the US Congressional Budget Office

Past positions

Professor of Economics, Agnes Scott College, USA; Associate Professor of Economics, Occidental College, USA; Research Economist and Associate Policy Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, USA

Qualifications

PhD Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, 1996

Selected publications

  • “US immigration from Latin America in historical perspective.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 37 (2023): 199–222 (with G. Hanson and P. Orrenius).

  • “Immigration, working conditions, and compensating differentials.” ILR Review 75 (2022): 1054–1081 (with C. Sparber).

  • “Put on ICE? Effects of immigration raids in the animal slaughtering and processing industry.” AEA Papers and Proceedings 112 (2022): 386–390 (with P. Orrenius).

  • Beside the Golden Door: US Immigration Reform in a New Era of Globalization. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute Press, 2010 (with P. Orrenius).

article(s)

  • Should countries auction immigrant visas? Updated

    Selling the right to immigrate to the highest bidders would allocate visas efficiently but might raise ethical concerns

    Madeline Zavodny, March 2023
    Many immigrant destination countries face considerable pressure to change their immigration policies. One of the most innovative policies is auctioning the right to immigrate or to hire a foreign worker to the highest bidders. Visa auctions would be more efficient than current ways of allocating visas, could boost the economic contribution of immigration to the destination country, and would increase government revenues. However, visa auctions might weaken the importance of family ties in the migration process and create concerns about fairness and accessibility. No country has yet auctioned visas, although several have considered doing so.
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  • Who benefits from the minimum wage—natives or migrants?

    There is no evidence that increases in the minimum wage have hurt immigrants

    Madeline Zavodny, December 2014
    According to economic theory, a minimum wage reduces the number of low-wage jobs and increases the number of available workers, allowing greater hiring selectivity. More competition for a smaller number of low-wage jobs will disadvantage immigrants if employers perceive them as less skilled than native-born workers—and vice versa. Studies indicate that a higher minimum wage does not hurt immigrants, but there is no consensus on whether immigrants benefit at the expense of natives. Studies also reach disparate conclusions on whether higher minimum wages attract or repel immigrants.
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