Challenges and perseverance among undocumented workers: A systematic review and future research agenda

Abstract

This review examines undocumented workers' experiences across the career lifecycle, analyzing 248 articles published between 1984 and 2025 and representing samples from 41 countries. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, this review organizes findings into three major themes: obtaining a job, experiences during employment, and transitioning to retirement. These themes are further unpacked into subthemes such as restrictive versus supportive policies, occupational clusters, exploitation, economic precarity, and barriers to career development. The literature also highlights how undocumented workers manage their identity and assert agency in light of these challenges. The proposed research agenda emphasizes avenues for advancing organizational scholarship with undocumented workers.