George J. Borjas

National Bureau of Economic Research, Harvard University

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Total Citations

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About

George J. Borjas is a prominent labor economist whose research has focused significantly on the economic impacts of immigration and, more recently, the transformative effects of automation on labor markets. Based at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Borjas has long been regarded as one of the most influential voices in immigration economics, known for rigorous empirical analyses that often challenge prevailing assumptions about labor market dynamics. His notable work "From Immigrants to Robots: The Changing Locus of Substitutes for Workers" (2019) represents a compelling pivot toward understanding how industrial automation reshapes employment. By treating industrial robot shipments as a labor market supply shock, Borjas and colleagues demonstrate that each additional robot displaces approximately two to three workers overall — rising to three to four workers in industries where robots most directly substitute for human labor. This finding carries profound implications for workforce policy and economic inequality debates. With citations accumulating across multiple versions of this study, Borjas continues to shape scholarly conversations at the intersection of labor economics, technological displacement, and immigration policy. His work remains essential reading for researchers grappling with how both human and mechanical newcomers restructure the American workforce.