[optimistically_conservative]

Why would they remain here? As society collapses from higher and higher welfare rates and unemployment rates --- why not move to where the people in the society are productive and working?

If you're talking about the US, it's an odd analogy.

(Seas) Unemployment Rate
Labor force status: Unemployment rate
Type of data: Percent
Age: 16 years and over

Check out the Civilian Employment and Unemployment figures since 1948. The charts are great.

[FITZ]

You can't rely on unemployment charts at all --- especially not comparisons between years --- the Clinton administration changed the way unemployment is reported --- employment used to mean a full job but Clinton changed it to mean any job at any number of hours. You can work part time for $5.15 an hour with no job benefits at all and receive government housing, food stamps, CHIP and many other welfare programs and you are counted as employed.

Also unemployment statistics don't count the other unemployed --- those receiving welfare and who aren't working at all, or those receiving SSDI --- which include many able-bodied working age people.

[FITZ]

How many people combined --- from all the many welfare programs, the NAFTA displaced worker welfare programs, plus the officially unemployed are there? Has government social program spending (federal and state) been cut because of the high employment? That would be a better measurement.