Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–May 21, 2015. Guestworkers are just as vulnerable to exploitation and low wages as unauthorized immigrant workers, according to a new EPI report. In Authorized Workers, Limited Returns: The Labor Market Outcomes of Temporary Mexican Workers, Lauren Apgar, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Indiana University Bloomington, compares the employment situation of Mexican guestworkers with that of legal permanent residents (LPRs) and unauthorized workers. The temporary legal immigration status provided to guestworkers does not help them escape the wage penalty associated with unauthorized work. Because H-2A and H-2B visas are tied to the employer, employers can exploit guestworkers’ fear of deportation to pay them lower wages.
