As she prepares to graduate, Food and Resource Economics Ph.D. candidate Xiurui ’Iris’ Cui presented and won 2nd place in the Job Market Paper Competition at the 2025 Southern Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) Annual Meeting in Irving, Texas.
A job market paper presents a piece of the author’s original research with the goal of demonstrating their aptitude as an economist and potential job candidate.
Nine job market papers from Ph.D. candidates across seven southeastern universities were presented at the SAEA meeting. These papers are representations of their original research which the authors, such as Cui, will use to represent their aptitude as an economist and potential job candidate as they approach graduation.
“I am both humbled and excited to receive this award, as it recognizes my accomplishments and affirms my research abilities,” Cui said. “This recognition reinforces my passion for addressing challenges in the food and agricultural industry and encourages me to continue this work through an academic career.”
Cui’s paper was entitled Political Posturing vs Realities on the Ground: E-Verify and the Employment of Undocumented Immigrants. It was co-authored with her advisor, Dr. Zhengfei Guan, associate professor of Food and Resource Economics at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center.
In the paper, Cui sought to understand how laws passed at the state level to require all private sector employers use E-Verify impacted the supply of undocumented workers. In addition, she also examined the legislative bills that were passed mandating the use of E-Verify to understand why it did not work in most cases, looking at things such as legal jargon, loopholes, and differing definitions of what qualifies a worker as an “employee” who would be subject to undergoing the E-Verify process.
“Our research on E-Verify shows that political posturing—rather than substantive enforcement—can lead to ineffective policies that fail to achieve their intended goals,” Cui said. “This insight is essential as we navigate the complexities of labor markets and immigration policy today.”
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