Brookings Report Links Biden-Era Migration to Higher Rents and Slight Wage Shifts

Researchers at the Brookings Institution have concluded that the unprecedented number of migrants admitted during President Biden's term has had measurable economic effects. Their report estimates that housing demand from the newcomers lifted rents by 1.4% to 1.6% across the United States. Concurrently, the influx appears to have depressed overall wage levels by up to 1.5%, a trend the authors tie to immigrants taking lower-wage jobs.

Despite this, native workers saw their wages rise by 0.9%, and after adjusting for rent increases, their net earnings grew by at least 1.6%. The study builds on prior analyses, including a Dallas Federal Reserve Bank paper that linked unauthorized immigrant flows to a 2.2% rise in house prices and a 1.4% rise in rents, and a Housing and Urban Development review that found similar pressure on low-income renters. Brookings frames the migration as a net benefit, emphasizing that native renters' wage gains outpace rent growth. The report adds to a growing body of research examining the economic impact of mass immigration under the Biden administration.