[Ultra Sonic 007]

Ping about a question.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Aren’t the unemployment figures calculated using new applications for unemployment benefits? Are illegal aliens allowed to collect unemployment? I don’t know for sure, so please don’t flame me if I’m wrong.

[cripplecreek]

All I know is that my state has a 7% unemployment rate (8% in my county) yet there’s a spanish language “come to Michigan” campaign being run by some business and farming groups.

A couple of weeks ago I read a story posted here about some 80 illegals found in a Phoenix house after one of the illegals called a relative in Michigan because the coyotes wanted more money. The fact that they called a relative in Michigan tells me that they were headed this way.

[SJSAMPLE]

The illegal apologists always use the unemployment rate to excuse our insane attitude toward illegals. The fact is, "underemployed" is a better measure. If you have a job as a roofer, you have a job (or, a "yob" as your illegal counterparts would call it), statistically. However, because of wage depression, you cannot work 40 hours a week at that job, so you pick up other jobs to make do. It's a scam by the apologists.

[AZRepublican]

Yes illegal immigrants are included in any unemployment calculation because the govt doesn’t make a distinction to status. I hear immigrants are a 4.5-6 percentage points factor in unemployment. Remove immigrants and actual figure is something like 8-10% unemployment.

[La Enchiladita]

In California, one applies for UI by telephone. Press 2 for Spanish and you will get to speak to a live operator sooner and the service is better.

[tcostell]

My education was as a labor economics, and illegals are not usually counted as part of the statistics surrounding unemployment. One of the things I've always found interesting is how much demand for illegal workers are created by high minimum wages, intrusive regulation, and unions.

If a builder wants to save money he could just as easily pay Americans cash to work "under the table" but since illegals are here (by definition) illegally, they are less likely to report labor law violations.

In effect they become part of the black market economy, and that always grows fastest in a socialist environment.