Is Bilingualism Values in the U.S. Labor Market?
January 2004 By Nancy R. Lockwood, SPHR, HR Content Expert The article, “The Value of Bilingualism in the U.S. Labor Market,” published in the October 2003 issue of Industrial and Labor Relations Review, describes the first study in the United States to consider the wages of bilingual workers versus those of workers who speak only English. While the research literature shows substantial labor market payoffs for foreign workers who speak English, there is no research regarding the payoff for workers with both English and foreign language skills. Consequently, this study covers new territory regarding the value of bilingualism in the United States. How the Study was Conducted The study was based on the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS). The 1992 NALS was selected because it offered the most recent U.S. data of salary for bilingual workers. Approximately 26,000 adults were interviewed in person by interviewers who spoke either English only, or both English and Spanish. The survey
