Bilingual Competency in U.S. Occupations: Resetting Expectations About Language in American Society

This study challenges the common belief that bilingualism leads to higher wages in the U.S. Using nationwide employer ratings from the O*NET database, it finds that while English proficiency is crucial across all U.S. occupations, the demand for foreign language skills is minimal, often limited to basic conversational abilities. This low demand may explain previous research indicating no wage premium for bilingualism. The study highlights a significant surplus of bilingual workers and calls for a reevaluation of language expectations in American society, particularly in the context of immigration, economic growth, and public education.

Omar S. López