The U.S. has benefited from illegal immigrants, most economists say, though some low-skilled workers have been hurt.Posted on 05/01/2006 8:28:35 AM PDT by blueberry12
The U.S. has benefited from illegal immigrants, most economists say, though some low-skilled workers have been hurt.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - In the heated debate over the impact of illegal immigration on the U.S. economy, Andrew Sum is one of those focusing on the negative.
The economist - the director of labor market studies at Northeastern University in Boston - argues that the large supply of immigrants has displaced low-skilled U.S.-born workers, particularly the young and the poor, from jobs.
"About 85.5 of every 100 new workers are new immigrants in this decade," he said. "At no time in the last 60 years have we come close to this. They're really displacing young workers at a very high rate."
But even Sum would concede that the U.S. economy is larger, and growing faster, due to the supply of illegal immigrants, and that most Americans with higher job skills are better off for their presence.
"Without the immigrants, we would have a decline in labor force of 3 to 4 percent," he said. "We couldn't have grown nearly as much as we did in the '90s if we didn't have immigrants. And in the last few years our growth would have been slower. The only thing I've argued is that we've ignored that illegal immigration has put a lot of young adults into economic jeopardy."
Sum's views point out the dichotomy that many economists see when looking at the impact of immigration on the economy.
Few economists will argue with the concept that the economy is stronger for the presence of the low-cost labor force.
(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...
Singing to the choir, sweetheart.....my husband's family has an orchard....been in the family for about 100 years....I KNOW the kind of work farmers do....some days it's hard, some days it's not. It's seasonal. .....the problem cannot be figured out on FR....but, the gov't/congress has been diddling for the past 15+ years about the problem....go tell them.
I never said the $1 a gallon gasoline was stolen.
And no doubt if someone was selling that gasoline at $1 a gallon you also would buy it.
We need to get WELFARE reduced further.....so that only the most destitute AMERICAN CITIZEN gets it....that would help.
If they are so good for us, why is their first act of political power, to harm the US economy?
True, so you are saying that you would buy the $1 a gallon gas.
"Mechanization".....YES....that is going to be more and more of a factor in crop picking....which will mean less need for lower level workers.....
And if rocks could float, you could build a stone ship. So what? Why are you wasting bandwidth with such vapid drivel?
I think about truck drivers on occasion.
Illegals work hard too.
Presume they're made "legal" by the stroke of a pen.
My guess, a Spanish language truck driving school would be a sound investment. Within 6 months we could have the beginning of a ready supply of hard working truck drivers, willing to do the jobs American's won't do, for $8 an hour. Expand the concept to the electrical and plumbing trades as well. :
Again JMO, you seem to be the expert in vapid drivel.
I'm just pointing out basic economics.
Another inapt analogy by the Danester. He's slipping today.
We may have to bring a Mexican `gad-fly' on board.
I'll head down to Lowes . . . .
"Hola, habla Ingles?
Que is su nombre?
`Manual Labor'?
You're hired."
Well at least there's nothing worth refuting in answering this post...a distinct improvement over your previous efforts.
I say we start using illegal immigrant economists at one quarter the wage. Their proclamations wouldn't be any worse.
That is my point too. The economy is good so not many people are paying attention to this problem. Wait until the next recession and there will be one, and people can't find work. I knew of a time during the Carter recession where two friends of mine were working at a Pizza Hut and were glad to get those jobs.
Keeping inflationary pressure low. Now if we could get some drilling in ANWR, more nuke plants, etc.etc. and take care of the energy problem, the US economy would boom.
But I would mandate they be taught in English and you would still have plenty of takers since things are a hellhole in Mexico.
"Expand the concept to the electrical and plumbing trades as well."
It is happening all around me already and has been for the last 8 -10 years. The kids who are to graduate next month from all the State Technical High Schools have no chance of getting jobs in their chosen fields. Guess who's taking up all the entry level / apprentice positions?
You can extrapolate your concept to include Heating HVAC, Auto Body technician, Carpentry, Woodworking and a few others......
This creates extreme friction between those legit business owners and those who are not. The government has turned a blind eye to this problem for too long. Now it has a chance to correct a lot of wrongs. Lets hope something beneficial for legitimate business owners and American citizens gets done and done right.
And in our best "United We Stand" voice, we should be saying:
"NO WAY, JOSE!!!"
"I'm just pointing out basic economics."
You've not answered my post #163.
You have no concept of basic economics on a level playing field.
The owner of the real property has to pay taxes on the property regardless of the legal status of the occupants or the number of the people who live there. And so, while an illegal alien is indirectly paying into tax base, the local taxing authority would collect the same even if the house is empty.
Also, the amount of the tax assessment is generally based upon the value of the real property. Do you think that cramming 16 illegal aliens into a three bedroom, one bath apartment enhances the value of the realty or decreases the value of the realty?
No, you're not. You are pointing to a fantasy hypothetical that can never exist in the real world, and you're too ignorant to realize it.
It's already been pointed out to you that competitors in a single market whose single difference is a 66% price discrepancy can not exist, but you skate by that fact like a child speculating about a hypothetical quarry of "floating" granite.
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