Costs and Benefits of Haitian Labor in the Construction Sector
Artículo elaborado a partir de la investigación sobre Costos y Beneficios de la Mano de obra Haitiana en el Sector Construcción, elaborada por Milka Cuello y Felipe Santos para SJRM,
Abstract
Traditionally, the immigration of Haitian nationals has been strongly linked to domestic production (agriculture and construction) and in recent decades, according to a number of studies (Baéz and Lozano 2008; OIM-FLACSO 2004; Silie and Cabral 2002) this labor has been predominantly concentrated in the construction sector. This situation has caused debates as to the impact of this population in domestic production, generating the following questions: Do Haitian immigrant workers displace Dominican labor? What is the economic cost of Haitian labor to the Dominican state? What are the economic benefits of Haitian labor in the construction sector? This article seeks answers to these concerns, evaluating the costs and benefits of labor in one of the largest growing sectors of the national economy, construction.
