Competition Without Displacement: Why High-Skilled Immigration Faces Resistance in White-Collar America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3834Keywords:
White-Collar America, High-skilled immigration, Labor market competitionAbstract
Resistance to high-skilled immigration in the United States is largely driven by perceived career competition rather than actual economic harm. Research consistently shows that immigration has limited average effects on native workers’ wages and employment outcomes (Caiuimi & Peri, 2024; Friedberg & Hunt, 1995). In many cases, immigration can also contribute to economic growth and productivity through labor market adjustments and specialization (Borjas, 2019). Despite this, opposition among native workers remains strong.
This paper argues that in white-collar labor markets, competition is structured through selective hiring, limited promotion opportunities, and pressure to advance within career hierarchies. Because these opportunities are scarce, new entrants can be perceived as direct competitors even when overall economic outcomes remain stable (Stier, 2015; Chance, 2023). This perception is intensified when those competitors are immigrants, since they may be viewed not just as coworkers but as outsiders within professional environments (Hainmueller & Hopkins, 2014).
As a result, resistance is shaped by both career-related pressures and identity-based factors, including stereotypes and status concerns. The paper concludes that opposition persists not because of widespread economic harm, but because of how competition is experienced in white-collar careers, and suggests that it may be reduced through more transparent advancement systems and greater interaction across groups in professional settings (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006).
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