Thread: Study Long-Term Advantage of Foreign Workers

Study touts long-term advantages of foreign workers
A study released Monday said immigrant workers in the long run are good for the economy.
BY ALFONSO CHARDY
achardy@ElNuevoHerald.com

Immigrant workers reduce job opportunities for native-born workers in the short run, but improve the economy after several years, thus making it easier for everybody to be hired, according to a study released Monday.

``Immigration may slightly reduce native employment and average income at first,'' according to the 26-page report The Impact of Immigrants in Recession and Economic Expansion. ``In the long run, immigrants do not reduce native employment rates, but they do increase productivity and hence average income.''

The report, issued by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, based its conclusions on an analysis of U.S. Census data from 1960 to 2008. To assess long-term effects, the report's author looked at 48 years of state population and employment data. For the short term, they analyzed population surveys since 1994.

The report is one of the latest efforts by groups favoring immigration reform to show that foreign nationals in the U.S. work force help advance national interests.

As the debate over legalization of undocumented immigrants heats up in the aftermath of Arizona's high-profile immigration control law, one of the pivotal points centers on whether foreign workers help or harm U.S.-born workers.

Those who favor immigration reform argue that legalizing the estimated 10.8 million undocumented immigrants in the country will improve the economy. Those who oppose reform argue that legalization will further depress the labor market for U.S.-born workers and legal residents.

Recent reports by the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington group that favors tighter immigration controls, indicate that undocumented immigrant workers tend to hurt the job prospects of less-educated U.S.-born workers and teen workers.

``In 1994, nearly two-thirds of U.S.-born teenagers were in the summer labor force,'' a new report by the center said. ``By 2007 it was less than half. At the same time, the overall number of immigrants [legal and illegal] holding a job doubled. The evidence indicates that immigration accounts for a significant share of the decline in teen labor force participation.''

To some foreign day laborers who every morning stand on street corners in South Florida looking for work, the economy is just now showing slight signs of improvement.

They say there are a few more jobs now than in the last two years when thousands of undocumented workers left the country because of lack of work, particularly in the construction industry.

``There is a ray of hope,'' said Victor Salazar, a 35-year-old Nicaraguan waiting for work in the parking lot of a shopping mall near the junction of Florida's Turnpike and Bird Road, in a recent interview. ``This time last year, I was getting work one or two days a week. Now, I work three days a week most of the time.''

A recent report by Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics showed that the ``unauthorized'' immigrant population in the United States decreased to 10.8 million in January 2009 from 11.6 million in January 2008.

The report said the decline in undocumented immigrants was ``coincident'' with the U.S. economic downturn.

The Migration Policy Institute report issued Monday said the short-term effect of immigrants on the labor market refers to one to four years while long-term equals seven to 10 years.

``In the short run, immigration may slightly reduce native employment and average income at first, because the economic adjustment process is not immediate,'' the report said. ``The long-run gains to productivity and income become significant after seven to 10 years.''


http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/08/1 ... est=B_case


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Why are journalists interviewing Foreign Workers standing on street corners instead of American Workers standing in line at the unemployment office?

Beware of these sorts of "studies"!!!!!

Many of the people behind them have a vested interest in bringing in more foreign workers and bypassing Americans.

Besides, the short term need for reimployment of Americans has reached a critical level. The last thing we should be doing is keeping more Americans out of work.


I call bogus study.

Originally Posted by BetsyRoss

Beware of these sorts of "studies"!!!!!

Many of the people behind them have a vested interest in bringing in more foreign workers and bypassing Americans.

Besides, the short term need for reimployment of Americans has reached a critical level. The last thing we should be doing is keeping more Americans out of work.


I call bogus study.

Right O, Betsy Ross. Totally bogus study. Increased population when there already aren't enough jobs, incomes and resources to support the legal American population, worsens the employment situation. It does however increase entitlement programs, government spending and the national debt, so apparently the people behind this study want to bankrupt the United States.

What we really need to know is who funded this study and that will explain the results.

Originally Posted by swatchick

What we really need to know is who funded this study and that will explain the results.

The report, issued by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, based its conclusions on an analysis of U.S. Census data from 1960 to 2008. To assess long-term effects, the report's author looked at 48 years of state population and employment data. For the short term, they analyzed population surveys since 1994.

The report is one of the latest efforts by groups favoring immigration reform to show that foreign nationals in the U.S. work force help advance national interests

These two paragraphs seem to provide some insight to that question...I would suspect those that contribute to these groups favor open borders, ensuring an endless abundance of cheap labor to satisfy their financial bottom line.

Another danger of amnesty to bear in mind - the ultimate prize of merging illegal foreign workers into the U.S. Social Security System!
Below is one of a number of articles describing the U.S. Social Security Totalization Agreement with Mexico, which needs only the U.S. President's signature to go into effect:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-100816-totalization.html

For others, please see Yahoo search on site.

They are probably good for the Wall Street economy, but really bad for the average American citizen's personal economy.

Originally Posted by Bowman

They are probably good for the Wall Street economy, but really bad for the average American citizen's personal economy.

As well as the state and county budgets. Don't forget all the perks they get when they drop their anchor babies.

Originally Posted by Judy

Why are journalists interviewing Foreign Workers standing on street corners instead of American Workers standing in line at the unemployment office?

Because illegals and their champion in Washington, D. C., are the current media darlings. Making the obvious connection between illegal aliens and unemployed Americans would completely undermine amnesty for illegals.