Thread: The Competition for Low Wage Jobs - The New York Times

This is part of an article "The Competition for Low Wage Jobs" in The New York Times featuring five commentators on the subject. You have to go to the source link given at the end of Mr. Camarota's comments to read the entire article: I cannot reprint it.


Wages Will Go Even Lower
By Steven A. Camarota, March 18, 2009

From the New York Times

The first thing to note about workers in low-wage jobs that require relatively little education is that the overwhelming majority are born in the United States. For example, the 2007 American Community Survey by the Census Bureau showed that 65 percent of meatpackers, 68 percent of construction laborers, 73 percent of dishwashers and 74 percent of janitors were U.S.-born. Of course, the immigrant share (legal and illegal) of any occupation varies enormously from city to city. But it’s clear from this data that Americans are willing to do this work.

According to the January Current Population Survey, which measures unemployment, there are now 24 million adult native-born Americans (18 to 64 years of age) who have no education beyond high school who are either unemployed or not in the labor force, which means they are not even looking for work.

Given the severity of this economic downturn, the long-term decrease in wages and employment for the least educated will likely accelerate.

During the last few decades the share of these less-educated Americans who are working has been declining and their wages, adjusted for inflation, have been falling. At the same time, the number of immigrants in the low-wage labor market has grown drastically. While most economists think immigration has caused some of this deterioration in wages, there is debate about how much. But even before the recession, it was almost impossible to find any evidence of a labor shortage at the bottom of the economy. If there was, wages and employment rates should all be rising, the exact opposite of what’s been happening for a long time.

Given the severity of this economic downturn, the long-term decrease in wages and employment for the least educated will likely accelerate. Assuming the United States does not change its immigration policy during the recession, competition between native-born Americans and new immigrants will almost certainly intensify for low-wage jobs.
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http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/ ... e-jobs/?hp

http://www.cis.org/camarota/nytwagesopinion

Construction is turning into a self-perpetuating industry. It has, notoriously, been a feast-or-famine enterprise subject to huge ups and downs in the business cycles. Now construction companies and construction unions go to Congress seeking taxpayer assisted help in turning this into a perpetually booming industry. They've all got their SOB story---even though people in this industry have always found adaptations to these vagaries in the past.

When people employed commercially were out of work they could turn to side jobs to fill in. Now day labor centers are trying to corner the market.

I have never seen a shortage of people who wouldn't do low wage work. Not everyone is career minded, peoples lives change, there has never been a shortage of applications or anything. In fact I had one boss who said without hesitation, for every one of you, there's 100 more out there wanting your job. It's sad when 3,000 people show up for 300 minimum wage jobs. Educated, talented, experienced people. We do not have a shortage of people or a need for low wage earners.....we need jobs.

It's encouraging to read the replies to the NYT article. Many people are responding to the kind of information that's available on the Center for Immigration Studies site.

People are contributing personal stories re how people in their neighborhoods used to do the jobs that the illegal alien lobby claims that only immigrants will do. The personal stories include info re how wages have actually declined in those jobs, since employers started hiring illegals as independent contractors.

Also, people from the tech industries are criticizing the H-1B visas, saying that they're just a way to lower wages and that if we must have foreigners working in technology, their job should be to train Americans. This I like.

Just curious crazybird

In fact I had one boss who said without hesitation, for every one of you, there's 100 more out there wanting your job

Did he mention anything about eating all your food because over in so and so they...........

sorry I could not resist
have to smile once in a while.........

On the other hand I do agree with you. I went through the big layoffs in "82" when I saw thousands walk out the doors in business in cities like Wichita Ks. Mostly all your aircraft industries. Engineers and other higher paid professionals out in the streets looking for jobs Some having to work for VERY LOW paying jobs. If you were lucky enough to find one.