May 19, 2005

"Immigration's not-so-hidden costs hurt American workers"

"We are a nation of immigrants," Kennedy said in announcing the new bill. "And we always will be, and our laws must be true to that proud heritage." I agree with that. But I also know that the nation can have too much of a good thing, especially those who have entered the workforce illegally.

Controlled and orderly immigration is enriching for our country. But massive large-scale immigration puts a squeeze on low-wage workers who already are here and facing a shrinking demand for their low-skilled labors...

...Yet we continue to hear about how illegals only take the "jobs nobody wants." Ideally, there is almost no job that somebody would not want and make themselves available to do, if you offer them enough money to do it. Whenever I hear someone talk about the "jobs nobody wants" what I really hear is: "jobs that pay less than most Americans need to support their families."

Posted to Immigration2005a at May 19, 2005 10:34 PM

Comments

"Controlled and orderly immigration is enriching for our country."

Nearly every article on immigrants or immigration includes some platitude like this -- they must teach that in journalism school or something.

Enough enriching already.

Posted by: eh at May 20, 2005 02:17 AM

This raises the question as to why are there unskilled American laborers. With K-12 provided at no cost to students, a variety of levels of postK-12 education, scholarships, student loans, apprenticeship programs, etc., how is it that there are unskilled American workers? Those that squandered their opportunities and failed to take advantage of the benefits given them are among those numbers.

Yet the radical anti-immigration fanatics jump at the chance to blame immigrants for yet another American failure.

Posted by: Ralph at May 20, 2005 05:30 AM

No, it doesn't raise that question. Not in the mind of someone who isn't a 'radical pro-immigration fanatic', anyway.

And no one is blaming immigrants for the fact there are unskilled Americans.

But there will always be the unskilled, and there is no question that by allowing in, or doing little or nothing to control, a flood of similar competition from abroad, you are doing great harm to their bargaining power in the labor market. You know, supply and demand. This shouild be obvious. One would think.

Posted by: eh at May 23, 2005 07:23 AM

Supply and Demand: the degree that the quantity demanded and price are affected by a change in supply is determined by the slope of the demand curve. The most recent study shows that the effect immigration has on wages is "scant".

And people in the U.S. who failed to take advantage of the many opportunities they were given to increase their skill levels shouldn't blame anyone but themselves for their low incomes.

Posted by: Ralph at May 23, 2005 07:41 AM