Today's jobs report shows record number out of the Job Market; Gang of Eight wants More Foreign Workers

NumbersUSA
CHRIS CHMIELENSKI
FRI, APR 5th

This morning's jobs report was not good news for American workers and the unemployed. About 663,000 Americans gave up their job search in March, and there's now more than 55 million working-age Americans no longer working.

Is relief on the way? Not if the Senate Gang of Eight has its way.

The massive immigration bill they're putting together would add millions more to the legal labor market by granting an amnesty with instant legal status and work permits for 11 million illegal aliens. Plus, the new deal agreed to by both union an d business lobbyists would create up to 200,000 new temporary guest-worker visas each year in addition to a yet unspecified increase in permanent green cards.

Some business groups came out against the tentative agreement - not because they're concerned about the impact it would have on America's unemployed, but because it's not big enough! A coalition of construction groups said:

"A guest worker program that fails to provide a sufficient number of visas to meet market demand as the construction sector recovers will inevitably make it harder to fill critical labor openings..."

Tamar Jacoby, who heads ImmigrationWorks, an organization that works with state business groups, had this to say about the deal:

"[S]everal of its most ingenious, most thoughtful elements may not work as intended on the ground, prim arily because the program is too small."

The original framework agreed to by the unions and business lobbies would already put a strain on America's unemployed. Imagine what could happen if the other business interest groups have their way in expanding the proposed guest-worker program.

Also this week, the GOP Members of the Senate Budget Committee, including its Ranking Member, Sen. Jeff Sessions, issued a statement that said the Gang of Eight'samnesty plan would cost taxpayers trillions of dollars.

Under current immigration law, legal immigrants are supposed to demonstrate that they won't be a public charge before entering the country. But Sen. Sessions said the Gang's proposal will not require amnestied illegal aliens to do so before receiving a green card.

Read more about the details here.

CHRIS CHMIELENSKI
FRI, APR 5th