Skilled Immigration and Business Diversity: Evidence from the H-1B Lottery

IF 0.4 Q4 ECONOMICS

ATLANTIC ECONOMIC JOURNAL Pub Date : 2026-01-06 DOI:10.1007/s11293-025-09841-3

Spencer Ma

引用次数: 0

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of H-1B visa lottery outcomes on firm concentration and business diversity at the county level in the United States, leveraging a natural experiment. H-1B data from the Department of Labor and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services were merged with business data from the United States Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns to analyze changes in market structure. Business diversity was measured using two indices: the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and the Shannon Diversity Index. Using a continuous difference-in-differences design, the analysis found that counties with a higher lottery win rate experienced a 0.64% decline in the Herfindahl Hirschman Index and a 0.27% increase in the Shannon Diversity Index. These findings suggest that high-skilled immigration contributes to economic diversification, supporting the broader argument that the H-1B visa plays a role beyond filling labor shortages.

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技术移民和商业多样性：来自H-1B抽签的证据

本文通过自然实验，考察了H-1B签证抽签结果对美国县域企业集中度和企业多样性的影响。来自劳工部和美国公民及移民服务局的H-1B数据与来自美国人口普查局县商业模式的商业数据合并，以分析市场结构的变化。企业多样性是用两个指数来衡量的：赫芬达尔-赫希曼指数和香农多样性指数。采用连续差异中差异设计，分析发现彩票中奖率较高的县，赫芬达尔·赫希曼指数下降0.64%，香农多样性指数上升0.27%。这些发现表明，高技能移民有助于经济多样化，支持了一个更广泛的论点，即H-1B签证的作用不仅仅是填补劳动力短缺。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

ATLANTIC ECONOMIC JOURNAL ECONOMICS-

CiteScore

1.30

自引率

16.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Atlantic Economic Journal (AEJ) has an international reputation for excellent articles in all interest areas, without regard to fields or methodological preferences. Founded in 1973 by the International Atlantic Economic Society, a need was identified for increased communication among scholars from different countries. For over 30 years, the AEJ has continuously sought articles that traced some of the most critical economic changes and developments to occur on the global level. The journal''s goal is to facilitate and synthesize economic research across nations to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and scholarly research. Contributors include some of the world''s most respected economists and financial specialists, including Nobel laureates and leading government officials. AEJ welcomes both theoretical and empirical articles, as well as public policy papers. All manuscripts are submitted to a double-blind peer review process. In addition to formal publication of full-length articles, the AEJ provides an opportunity for less formal communication through its Anthology section. A small point may not be worthy of a full-length, formal paper but is important enough to warrant dissemination to other researchers. Research in progress may be of interest to other scholars in the field. A research approach ending in negative results needs to be shared to save others similar pitfalls. The Anthology section has been established to facilitate these forms of communication. Anthologies provide a means by which short manuscripts of less than 500 words can quickly appear in the AEJ. All submissions are formally reviewed by the Board of Editors. Officially cited as: Atl Econ J