Study: Immigration Hasn't Hurt Employment

[Rhino]

Study Suggests High Immigration Hasn't Hurt U.S. Employment

Thursday, August 10, 2006

WASHINGTON — Big increases in immigration since 1990 have not hurt employment prospects for American workers, says a study released Thursday.

The report comes as Congress and much of the nation are debating immigration policy, a big issue in this fall's midterm congressional elections.

The Pew Hispanic Center found no evidence that increases in immigration led to higher unemployment among Americans, said Rakesh Kochhar, who authored the study.

Kochhar said other factors, such as economic growth, played a larger role than immigration in setting the job market for Americans.

The study, however, did not look at whether wages were affected by immigration. Advocates for tighter immigration policies argue that immigrant workers depress wages for American workers, especially those with few skills and little education.

Immigration supporters argue that foreign workers often take jobs that Americans don't want and won't take........http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207745,00.html

[Riverboat]

The Pew Hispanic Center found no evidence that increases in immigration led to higher unemployment among Americans, said Rakesh Kochhar, who authored the study. When I was a freshman in college, I took a class to help learn how to study more effectively. One of the ways to get the gist of an article is to look for KEY words, such as topic headings, italicized words. I highlighted one word for you. Can you find it? What conclusions can you draw from it before you even read the article about the study?

Just another service I like to provide for free.

[Kathy29]

It's like asking the Hamas Center for Islamic Studies if blowing up Jews is harmful.

[Naturalized-Texan]

We are at full employment in the U.S. Unemployment in the 4% to 5% range is considered to be full employment and it is now 4.8%. Of course, we must consider the fact that many employers hire illegal immigrants to do jobs that could easily be automated because using illegal immigrants is cheaper. We need to strictly control our borders to stop illegal imigration. That would result in more automation with no loss of jobs for citizens and legal immigrants - i.e., continued full employment.

[Kathy29]

Nothing is cheaper than automation. That's why we invented assembly lines to begin with. It's also one of the reasons why imported produce is invariably cheaper than that grown here.

[Dowple]

Nothing is cheaper than automation. That's why we invented assembly lines to begin with. It's also one of the reasons why imported produce is invariably cheaper than that grown here.

And Kathy supplies an answer to the question I ask all the time. Namely, how is it that Kroger's sells oranges from Australia cheaper than oranges from Florida and elsewhere in the US? Hmmmm? Australian oranges are consistently much cheaper than American fare? How can this be? There are, after all, no mexicans in Australia to "do the work Americans refuse to do". And, in addition, Australian oranges must be transported across the Pacific Ocean in what I presume are refrigerated cargo containers. What is it Australians are able to do that we are not? Could it be A-U-T-O-M-A-T-I-O-N?

[Beowulf]

Immigration Hasn't Hurt Employment

Maybe not YET it hasn't but as millions more flow into this country unrestricted, increase the costs of their being here, drive down wages and undercut the American worker, it will!!!

[Kathy29]

And Kathy supplies an answer to the question I ask all the time. Namely, how is it that Kroger's sells oranges from Australia cheaper than oranges from Florida and elsewhere in the US? Hmmmm? Australian oranges are consistently much cheaper than American fare? How can this be? There are, after all, no mexicans in Australia to "do the work Americans refuse to do". And, in addition, Australian oranges must be transported across the Pacific Ocean in what I presume are refrigerated cargo containers. What is it Australians are able to do that we are not? Could it be A-U-T-O-M-A-T-I-O-N?

The Minister of Agriculture from China toured American farms and said "There are some industries that America has no business being in. Agriculture is one of them".

Most farms, ranches, orchards and vineyards around the world are automated. In many cases, the Ameican taxpayer has footed the bill to pay for the machinery. Chile is an ideal example. Chilean fruit and vegetables are found everywhere. We paid for all the mechanization for those farms and orchards. We paid to propel Dulcinea in mexico into the forefront of produce sold in the US, and paid for the genetic engineering to grow those little watermelons. The only grower that the US won't help is the American grower.

The huge corporate farms like Del Monte and Green Giant can't even get a tax break for automation UNLESS it's for a farm outiside of the US. Case in point, growing pineapples in Hawaii has become so expensive, that the pineapple plantations are closing and moving off shore. The govt gives automation incentives to move out of the US (part of improving the lot of the third world) but refuses to help Americans.

[omegatrump]

When I was a freshman in college, I took a class to help learn how to study more effectively. One of the ways to get the gist of an article is to look for KEY words, such as topic headings, italicized words. I highlighted one word for you. Can you find it? What conclusions can you draw from it before you even read the article about the study?

Just another service I like to provide for free.


You point out what should be obvious to everybody, but it seems that the whole world exerts tremendous energy to avoid the obvious.

It's like (as Kathy said) asking Hamas to do a study on suicide bombing and how it adversly affects the muslim family, or the Jewish family. Then taking their word for it. Or like the government study on the economy as it relates to their own numbers.

Thank you for your free service Riverboat.

[Naturalized-Texan]

The question is not: are there jobs still for Americans, but rather what has illegal immigration done to wages.
Hourly wages are increasing significantly now that we are in a period of full employment.

[Beowulf]

Hourly wages are increasing significantly now that we are in a period of full employment.

True, NT, but I stick with what I said earlier. With illegal Mexicans taking the same jobs Americans do for far less, how long will it be before we are forced to take the jobs for the same wage scale or less or lose the jobs entirely to illegals? So long as companies keep hiring them, this will be a problem.