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National Data, By Edwin S. Rubenstein

What Job Rebound? Immigrants Displace Americans at Record Clip

The unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent in February, according to the Labor Department’s estimate on Friday, as payrolls shrank by a less than expected 36,000 jobs. The figures suggest a stable job market with little or no new hiring.

Indeed, economists believe that the month’s horrible weather may have increased job losses by as much as 100,000. Implication: absent the snow, the economy likely would have seen a net job gain in February, for only the second time since the recession began two years ago.

A snow job? Perhaps. But the Household Survey, which does a better job of canvassing small businesses, home based entrepreneurs, and—more importantly (from our perspective)—illegal aliens, reported a gain of 308,000 new positions.

While considerably below January’s 541,000 job pop, this is still far above the level needed to reduce unemployment.

That’s the good news. The bad news: the job figures also show a resumption of American worker displacement. Despite being overrepresented in occupations impacted by weather— construction, agriculture, and landscaping, etc.—in February, Hispanics gained jobs at nearly four times the rate of Non-Hispanics:

Total employment: +308,000 (+0.22 percent)

Hispanic employment: +118,000 (+0.60 percent)

Non-Hispanic employment:: +190,000 (+0.16 percent)

The VDARE.com American Worker Displacement Index (VDAWDI) rose by 0.44 percent January—to a record 126.1:



VDAWDI for February 2010 is calculated like this:

For every 100.0 Hispanics employed in January 2001 there were 123.1 in February 2010

For every 100.0 non-Hispanics employed in January 2001 there were 97.6 in February 2010

VDAWDI equals 126.1 (=100 X 123.1/97.6)

Hispanic employment is still the best proxy we have for month-to-month trends in foreign born labor.

As we reported last month, the BLS now devotes a table of its monthly report explicitly to immigrant and native-born employment. Unfortunately, the data are not seasonally adjusted, making month to month comparisons impossible.

Nevertheless, the displacement of native-born Americans by immigrants is clear when juxtaposing February 2010 with February 2009:

Employment Status by Nativity, Feb. 2009-Feb. 2010

(numbers in 1000s; not seasonally adjusted)


Feb. 2009
Feb. 2010
Change
% Change


Foreign born, 16 years and older

Civilian population
34,714
35,315
601
1.7%

Employed
20,976
21,102
126
0.6%

Unemployed
2,414
2,752
338
14.0%

Unemployment rate
10.3
11.5
1.2
11.7%

Not in labor force
11,324
11,461
137
1.2%


Native born, 16 years and older

Civilian population
200,199
201,683
1,484
0.7%

Employed
119,129
116,102
-3,027
-2.5%

Unemployed
11,285
13,239
1,954
17.3%

Unemployment rate
8.7
10.2
1.5
17.2%

Not in labor force
69,785
72,342
2,557
3.7%

Source: BLS, “The Employment Situation – February 2010,â€