November 02, 2005

California courts ruled three years ago that illegal workers are entitled to sue for back pay if they have been paid less than the minimum wage, and more recently ruled (as have courts in other states) that they are entitled to collect workers' comp benefits if injured on the job. Is the effect of such rulings, intended or otherwise, to reduce illegals' role in the U.S. economy by making them more expensive for employers to hire? "Robert Musil" wonders here and here.