Far from taking jobs away, foreign-born workers have played a key role in America’s recent success at combining fast growth with a rapid decline in inflation. And foreign-born workers will also be crucial to the effort to deal with our country’s longer-term problems.
Did those foreign-born workers take jobs away from Americans — in particular, native-born Americans? No. America in early 2024 has full employment, with consumers who say that jobs are “plentiful” outnumbering those saying jobs are “hard to get” by almost five to one. The unemployment rate among native-born workers averaged just under 3.7 percent in 2023, as low as it’s been since the government began collecting the data.
Immigrant workers often turn out to be complementary to the native-born work force, bringing different skills that, in effect, help avoid supply bottlenecks and allow faster job creation. Silicon Valley, for instance, hires a lot of foreign-born engineers because they bring something additional to the table; the same is true for workers in many less-glamorous occupations.
@BadgerFaithRepublican4mos4MO
America does have open borders and 10 million migrants have come here in the past three years. It is anything but difficult to come here. Biden does not have to wait for Democrats or Republicans to solve much of the problem - just reinstate remain in Mexico.
Legal immigration is good. 10 million "asylum" seeking economic migrants is not sustainable - and they need to be deported. Poor American citizens are starting to get quite annoyed at the billions spent to feed, clothe, and house these migrants.
@RepresentationOryxGreen4mos4MO
America turned away over 2 million undocumented migrants in 2023. That is hardly an "open border".
America and Canada both face the same problem: an aging workforce and a falling birthrate. At the same time they have the lowest level of unemployment since the 1960's. Their economies are screaming for more workers.
For the last 150 years, Canada's total immigration from all sources has usually been above 0.6% of population per year, sometimes as high as 3%. In 2022 it was 2.27% because of the wars in Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Canada's current target is 1.25%, i.e., 500,00… Read more
@F1libusterDemocratDemocrat4mos4MO
10 million migrants is a gross exaggeration. According to the DHS statistics, there have been 6.4 million "migrant encounters" at the southern border since Biden took office, and 2.4 million have been allowed in. The vast majority will not be granted asylum. Only about 15% of those granted hearings are let in as permanent residents.
This is NOT about a lack of resources to process applications of people at the border. This is about resources PERIOD.
Major blue cities are being stretched to the extreme with working class populations getting squashed and de-prioritised in the country where they pay taxes.
What is going to happen next year, and the next, and the next? More of the same extreme levels of arrivals in major cities? This is asking for trouble.
Too much, too quickly. It's socially and politically destabilising.
@CrushedSeahorseDemocrat4mos4MO
The only reason there is a "crisis" on the border is because although the migrants are coming to work hard for a better life, our current system prevents them from doing so and thus creates a burden on our already underfunded social services.
America rose to become the richest and most powerful country on the backs of the immigrants who surged across our borders around the turn of the 20th Century.
During those days, more Americans came through Ellis Island than are arriving at our borders today. And even though people want to deny the facts, the truth is the majority of those who… Read more
Immigrants are great for the United States; however, I disagree that the US does not have Open Borders when I see thousands coming thru the Southern Border illegally only to be released into our society and never heard from again. It was surprising to see on PBS Newshour that Middle Class Chinese are flying into Mexico, near the Border and crossing in without Visas. They destroy their Passports and China will not issue new ones nor will China take them back. This simply isn't fair to those who wait and go thru Legal Channels.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution4mos4MO
Multiculturalism is dangerous and destroys nations
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