Hiring illegals instead of teens

Newsday ^ | 7/23/2005 | Charles V. Zehren

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

The uncomfortable reality, as Andrew Sum sees it, is that there's a direct link between the steep national decline in teen employment rates and the growing practice of businesses hiring illegal immigrants and paying them off the books.

Sum is the director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University and lead author of a widely cited nationwide study projecting teen employment will continue to fall, with a drop to 36.7 percent this summer from 45 percent in 2000. That puts it at or near its lowest level since the data series began in 1948, despite a strengthening economy and improving overall labor market.

"The immigrant increase in employment is overwhelming. Every net new job created is taken by an immigrant. I know that's shocking, but that's the truth," Sum said offering his sober assessment. "It happened in Massachusetts and New York in the 1990s, and now its happening in the country as a whole."

That's not to say the sole reason teens are getting squeezed out is that businesses are breaking the rules, going underground and hiring unskilled immigrant labor.

It's always been the case that some high school kids might not get work because they are lazy, lack initiative, face racism, need contacts, don't have a car or can afford to do something else because they have rich parents.

'snip'

But what has Sum particularly intrigued and concerned is the undeniable evidence that more American businesses are opting to expand profits and remain competitive by hiring low-cost undocumented workers instead of paying taxes, workers' compensation and even rudimentary health benefits for legal workers. "I haven't seen anything like this in 25 years," Sum said.

[hispanarepublicana]

We have a grocery chain here in town that used to be very good about hiring kids like you speak of. Now, they want 35 to 38 hours per week from the kids, where the same chain used to be strict about having kids work around 20 hours per week. It's difficult for college kids to take, say, 19 semester hours and work 38 hours per week, AND make it out in 4 or 4.5 years.

[Smarti Pants]

My kids have applied at those grocery stores - and department stores, and vet clinics and specialty stores in the area. Nada, nothing. Not even a nibble. We have so many places in the area, you'd think there would be something! And my kids are all good looking, well speaking people. One of them is even former military!

I'd be more upset if they weren't at least trying! Like I said earlier, though, wrong language spoken, maybe.

[freeangel]

I was a little annoyed that my son could not get hired his last summer of high school or this first summer after his freshman year of college. Fortunately, he is also a soccer referee so he does have an income-at least in soccer season. I think it may be teaching him a good thing in the long run. He will have to depend on himself for a living--not on the whims of companies that have no loyalties to this country or Americans.

[MNJohnnie]

...pussies one and all...

Talk about your sterotyping.

P.S. It's you're, not your. Maybe some of those kids are better spellers than you

Ah actually, no it isn't. Your is correct

Entries found for

"your"

your adj

1. refers to something that belongs to or relates to an addressee

2. refers to something that belongs or relates to an unspecified person or people in general

3. refers to somebody or something as an example or topic (informal)

[exnavychick]

Yeah, the old "need experience to get expirence" thing. Used to drive me batty...that's why I ended up working two jobs waiting tables instead of a 9-5 job I would have LOVED to have instead. *Sigh*

But, ya gotta pay the bills.

[Lijahsbubbe]

who are more concerned with putting on their make-up, doing their hair & flirting than they are with doing their work.

That's terrible! Well, I know I was never like that! (wink)

[dalereed]

When I was growing up there wasn't such a thing as a minimum wage law, after the paper routes from 8 to 13 I started plastering for my father for $0.50/hr. and saved enough to have a built hot rod 40 Ford coupe completed and ready the day I turned 16 and got my licence.

[MNJohnnie]

Teens don't just work for gas money. There are many who must pay their way through college -- or would like

Hmm, what was that I read the other day about the Military not meeting their enlistment goals?

[RaceBannon]

My buddy lives on Cape Cod, and for years the teenagers have been unable to find work, even in the summer because the hotels and other businesses always bring in foreign labor to fill the slots.

[exnavychick]

Let's not forget that there are plenty of older folks (retirement age) who are taking some of these minimum wage jobs to supplement their retirement income...or lack thereof.

It's not just illegals or foreign workers.

[RaceBannon]

Not on the Cape it aint!

[Lijahsbubbe]

ACCEPT THE FACTS

Oh, okay, if you say so.

An just to be crystal clear...all of my hispanics (Guatamalens) are bonafide legal and documented

Well that speaks volumes. Your hispanics? I guess the white "pussies" as you call them, are smart enough to know that they're not your property, and they don't have to be treated like it. Tote that bale, Hispanics!

[marty60]

And guess what, YOUR taxes and health premiums go up to pay for THEM to live here illegally.

[exnavychick]

I've never been there, so I'll take your word for it. :)

[Lijahsbubbe]

Your guilty of sterotyping

Nope, he was incorrect.

[KingNo155]

Winter of 1981 in 6th grade I shoveled my first sidewalk for $3 came back the next day and cleared the drift snow for free, Snowed alot that year and put a $100 in my pocket a week before I went to school due to delayed openings and closures. I bought a snow blower and a lawn mower to cut grass next spring/summer my dad still has them and keeps them running and in use.

[Normal4me]

The problem is the budget allows for about $10 an hour for a laborer. These kids want $15 and ac and don't want to sweat any. I try to explain that micky d's will pay them $7.50 part time and they take home $96 a week as opposed to take home of about $320 a week working with me. I dunno...

[Smarti Pants]

Nope, not me! #1 - Never wore the goo & still don't #2 - First job (for a year +) was a cook in a nursing home #3 - was stupid & married out of high school & divorced with a baby not too long after that.

As a single mother, I never had time to consider looks - I was more concerned with making sure we had rent $ and food on the table.

Oh how youth is sooooooo wasted on the young!! HAHAHA

[Myrddin]

My #2 son had no success trying to get a job after his 16th birthday. The local burger joints were populated with hispanics or asians. If you were not in "the club" i.e. the right skin color and language, you need not apply. My son "fixed" the problem by becoming fluent in Spanish. He gets the last laugh as he runs a real estate office at age 22 with predominantly Spanish speaking customers AND employees. He will have his broker's license shortly and a BA in business by March 2006.

[Smarti Pants]

Yeah!! Some of my workers just got "certified" and they think that automatically qualifies them for getting anywhere between $18-30/hr - dream on.....dream on...