Thread: The recession hurts immigration

The recession hurts immigration
Posted Sep 22 2009, 10:48 AM
by Kim Peterson

The economic recession in the U.S. has taken a toll on construction jobs available, and as a result fewer immigrants are coming here from Mexico and other countries.

That's the general take after census numbers show the number of foreign-born people living in the U.S. has declined for the first time since 1970, The Wall Street Journal reports. About 38 million foreign-born people lived here in 2008, a decline of 100,000 from the previous year.

If that doesn't seem like much of a drop to you, consider that between 2000 and 2006, the number of foreign-born in the U.S. grew by 1 million a year. Compared with that growth rate, the decline seen last year is staggering.

Of course, it's hard to get an exact count on all this because millions of people are in the U.S. illegally, the Journal reports. But different surveys seem to point to a drop in the number coming into this country, particularly as industries that traditionally employ them -- such as construction -- have struggled.

"Many workers who got jobs here regularly have returned to their countries," a manager at a California job center told the Journal.

Additionally, the number of people moving from state to state has dropped by about 9%. In fact, mobility is at a 60-year low.

The census figures show other interesting impacts of the recession. People are stuck in traffic longer and are delaying getting married and buying a house, according to The Associated Press.

High gas prices and other factors cut down on the number of people driving alone to work. As a result, commute times went up as people carpooled or took public transportation.

http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topst ... ation.aspx

They don't have to let the border fence hit them in the butt on the way out! smile

Here are some headlines I'd like to see, based on reality

"Illegal immigration hurts economy"

"Illegal aliens hurt immigration"

Not a dry eye in the house, lol.

Good I hope it makes them all leave. The sooner the better IMO.

No illegal immigrants should be counted in the CENSUS!