Mexican Workers in the United States: A Comparison with Workers from Social Security Totalization Countries

Publication Date: July 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Economics; Labor

Type:

Coverage: Mexico

Abstract:

On June 29, 2004, the United States and Mexico signed a Social Security totalization agreement, the effects of which depend on the yet to be disclosed language of the agreement. A totalization agreement coordinates the payment of Social Security taxes and benefits for workers who divide their careers between two countries. The agreement has not been transmitted to Congress for review, which is required under law before the agreement can go into effect. This report does not attempt to estimate the potential cost of a totalization agreement with Mexico, or reach a conclusion on the effects of such an agreement on U.S. workers and employers. Instead this report explores one of the issues concerning such an agreement. Using different socio-economic characteristics, the report compares persons born in Mexico and living in the United States (both naturalized U.S. citizens and noncitizens) with persons born in the current totalization countries and living in the United States.

The Social Security program provides monthly cash benefits to qualified retired and disabled workers, their dependents, and survivors of deceased workers. Generally, a worker must have 10 years of Social Security-covered employment to be eligible for retirement benefits (less time is required for disability and survivor benefits). Most jobs in the United States are covered under Social Security. Noncitizens (aliens) who work in Social Security-covered employment must pay Social Security payroll taxes, including those who are in the United States working temporarily and those who may be working in the United States without authorization. There are some exceptions. Generally, the work of aliens who are citizens of a country with which the United States has a "totalization agreement" is not covered by Social Security if they work in the United States for less than five years. In addition, by statute, the work of aliens under certain visa categories is not covered by Social Security. Currently, since Mexico meets the definition of a "social insurance country," a Mexican worker may receive U.S. Social Security benefits outside the United States. Family members of the Mexican worker must have lived in the United States for at least five years to receive benefits outside the United States, but typically under a totalization agreement this requirement is waived.

This report concludes that the Mexican population in the United States has a different socio-economic profile than both U.S. citizens and persons (both naturalized U.S. citizens and noncitizens) from current totalization countries. Workers from totalization countries tend to have more education and higher earnings than workers born in the United States or in Mexico. Noncitizens from Mexico tend to be younger and have higher labor force participation rates than naturalized U.S. citizens from Mexico, and other U.S. citizens. In addition, Mexican noncitizens and naturalized U.S. citizens from Mexico in the U.S. labor force tend to have more dependents in their U.S. households. Because Mexican workers may have lower lifetime earnings, they may receive a higher replacement rate, relative to the payroll taxes they pay, than workers with higher lifetime earnings, such as U.S. citizens and noncitizens from the totalization countries. This report will not be updated.