The U.S. housing market's troubles have spread to financial markets, and news reports have focused on broad indicators of Wall Street's distress, such as stock market indexes and interbank lending rates. However, the pinch on Main Street has been impacting low-wage workers for more than two years.

Even while the state is adding a disproportionate share of jobs, its record of robust employment growth has been clouded by questions concerning the quality of the new positions.

A number of states have adopted laws that require employers to use the federal government’s E-Verify program to check workers’ eligibility to work legally in the United States. Using data from the Current Population Survey, this study examines whether such laws affect labor market outcomes...