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Monday, June 27, 2011

"Illegal Immigrants Take Jobs That No One Else Wants": Comment of the Week

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You can read the full article: "Does Arizona Immigration Law Really effect USA Jobs ?

We had dozens of comments with many differing views on how this has effected their careers or job search. But The Comment of the week is:

"Hmmm how many Americans are eager to take the underclass jobs.  These "underclass" jobs include harvesting crops, unskilled labor in landscaping and construction, house-cleaning, and maid and busboy work in hotels and restaurants, yes all of which have a disproportionate number of illegal workers.  I keep hearing that the illegals are taking "all the jobs" from us US Citizens.  But are they really? 

Here in the US, where now only 12% of the labor force has less than a high school education, there is a lack of native-born workers to take undesirable manual labor jobs.   Since illegal immigrants often anticipate working only temporarily in the destination country (the US), the lack of opportunity for advancement is less of a problem. Evidence for this can be seen in one Pew Hispanic Center poll of over 3,000 illegal immigrants from Mexico in the US, which found that 79% would voluntarily join a temporary worker program that allowed them to work legally for several years but then required them to leave.

This structural demand theory posits that simple willingness to work undesirable jobs, rather than for unusually low wages, is what gives illegal immigrants their employment. So to argue cases like this that there is no direct competition between unskilled illegal immigrants and native-born workers is a stretch.  I mean how many degreed skilled workers out there are willing to take these under skilled positions - they are the ones taking unemployment until the economy turns.

The concept that illegal immigrants "take jobs that no one else wants". This has certain implications for policy, as it may refute claims that illegal immigrants are "lowering wages" or stealing jobs from native-born workers.

As far as Federal government reform, I absolutely agree.  But the current administration inherited 8 years from the prior administration that did absolutely nothing.

What do you think? Post your comments below.

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like Obama wrote this - "It's not my problem - - Blame Bush"

    This is the current administrations answer to everything. Not a way to get the change that the guy ran on but this writer will surely re-elect him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What do I think!?! I think I strongly agree with Mr. Don's comment and I also think I have lost any respect for oceanflash08.

    To say in the previous eight years that the administration did absolutely nothing is dishonest and idiotic. Extreme wings of both parties may have stopped implementation but as a president, more was done by President Bush than the great majority of presidents on the issue. I caanot respect the opinion of a person who only wishes to throw yet another jab at a good and decent man while the current one continues to show his inexperience and incompetence in every single category.

    Vicente Fox wrote in his book, "Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith, and Dreams of a Mexican President” that "in 2001, President George W. Bush, and the leadership of both parties of Congress were about to pass significant immigration reform legislation benefiting Mexican emigration to the U.S., but then the terrorists attacked." Does oceanflash08 not remember 2005-2006? Sad... intellectually dishonest... and shameful oceanflash08.

    Sincerely,

    Chris Hutchinson

    ReplyDelete
  3. Immigration reform is being improperly represented because it is not the unskilled who are taking the jobs middle class workers want but the imported foreign workers who come here on L1, H1B, and similar visas. Or worse yet those who come as tourists with the express intent of overstaying their visas and working here illegally and trusting the system will not find them. Most of these people are not from Latin America but India, China and even some Eastern European countries...dont be fooled!

    ReplyDelete
  4. In terms of illegal immigration, I've been told by a number of friends in the construction field that they (illegals) DO severely impact the jobs for legal Americans and that this has been going on for many years. Pundits who have no real world experience nor on the street contacts have politicized this into a "illegal workers rights" issue. Seems legal citizens should have rights too.

    ReplyDelete

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