Will curbing immigration hurt the US economy?

Question

With the aging population, and the relatively low birth rate in the US, are immigrant workers necessary to provide the labor to keep the US economy strong? Do immigrants (legal or otherwise) fill labor needs that may not otherwise be in short supply?

Answer 1

That depends on how it's done. If the nativists win the debate and there is a mass deportation, the negative effects will be substantial possibly severe. If the legalists win the debate and illegals are criminalised, prisons will be filled. If the illegals are given a way to legalise, the economic effects will be minimal. Being illegal is not the equivalent of being criminal or even wrong.

This is largely a debate over how to stem the flow of immigrants from Latin America. The substantial number of illegals from Europe, Asia, and Africa are rarely mentioned in the debate. Some claim the illegals are nothing but a net cost. That is probably wrong since by offering their labour, they produce for the economy at a low price. Educating their children seems more like an investment to me. If the children remain in the U.S., they will contribute directly. If they ultimately return to their parents home country, they will take a decidedly different outlook and level of literacy with them. Most of these children will not have a peasant's worldview. That can only benefit the U.S. by adding a lift to the home country's economy which in the long run will reduce the pressure to leave for the U.S.

Consider that the citizen base of the U.S. is aging and reproducing at a rate that won't sustain the population. What keeps the growth of the working age population in the positive is immigration. Without that growth, the baby boomers will become the aged boomers with a shrinking level of economic output to support them.

There is no status quo. If we close the borders, we change our society into an older, poorer population. Japan is struggling with this dilemma now. The Japanese baby boom is getting old but the population of working age people is shrinking.

If we keep the borders at least as open as they are now, our population will continue to remain younger and the economy will expand. The trade-off is the face of the society will change. A stronger Latin influence would be likely. I don't see Spanish replacing English as the primary language simply because the people who come in will be vastly outnumbered by English speakers at any given moment in time. The pressure to learn English will be huge. Their children would grow up bilingual, but their grandchildren would be English first with a smattering of the grandparents' native tongue. That is simply the way it works with immigration. How many Italian Americans can actually speak Italian beyond a few words? How many Irish Americans speak with an Irish accent?

Answer 2

Curbing immigration (legal or otherwise) will cripple small businesses. While some people do not agree that immigrants do the jobs that Americans don't want to do, I think we can all agree that immigrants will do these menial jobs for far less pay and benefits than Americans. If your local mom-and-pop restaurant all of a sudden had to cover a 25% jump in payroll plus pay more benefits, they'd be out of business in no time.

Immigrant labor (legal or otherwise) is historically the cheapest labor you can get. We need to keep a constant supply of cheap, unskilled laborers so that our small businesses can afford to stay in business.

Answer 3

Immigration isn't the problem - illegal entry within the borders is the problem.

Those that come into this country legally have to support themselves and prove that they are not going on public assistance or be a burden to the citizens of this country. Illegals on the other hand is another story.

There is no shortage of workers. There is an unwillingness of paying at the going rate and driving down wages. Illegals won't/don't face the problems that the citizens of the country will be facing if they were to take the same job at below going wage rates. I know people that worked in the plants in Texas for years that for whatever reason don't seem to be able to get any help type of help when they lose their job because they subcontract out their job to those that are illegal.

Answer 4

immigration is good for the economy I worked for a high tech company that was 50 % immigrant on HB-1 visas.

We need legal immigration.

If some get rights by coming here illegally What law do i get to break without punishment. Keep in mind I am not in Congress.

Answer 5

There would be a shortage of applications for low paying jobs, and there would be a problem. Americans over the years have proven to be very creative, and most likely find ways to function with loss of immigrant labor. Problem remains the needs of immigrants and Mexico isn't creating jobs, with their stock market ranging from 18000 to 21000 suggest robust economy; one can only conclude Mexico isn't in need of affordable housing, an infra system, schools hospitals libraries,resavouirs or water purifing systems,with no needs all the money goes to stock market.

Answer 6

curbing illegal immigration will limit the number of uneducated, unskilled people in the work force. how could that hurt the economy? For years we've been told to prepare for the techological economy. How can having millions of people who can't read, don't have a high school diploma, and heavily dependent on social services plus language barriers, etc be helpful to the us economy?

Answer 7

Let me put it this way...

Immigrants are willing to do the jobs that nobody already living in America is willing to do, such as manual labor. Without immigrants, legal or illegal, there goes the agricultural part of our economy. Oops -- so much for kicking them out. Without immigrants, America would be screwed, like them or not.

Answer 8

It just saves businesses money. Money that won't go into lowered production or inflation because they have to pay higher rates.

However, it's BS that immigrants take jobs that U.S. citizens don't want. I wouldn't mind some farming duties. It'll be a nice experience and all. I'm sure some people 'need' it too. Either for the money or for some activity in their lives.

Answer 9

No. Because we can loosen immigration at any time. We pay for education and services for poor people. That is expensive and people are standing in line to get in.

We can be picky and take the best, and the very kinds for the very jobs that we need.

We are taking those who want to come rather than those we want to have, and we are paying their way, as it stands.

We need to secure our border, dismantle the employment and benefit magnets that draw illegal immigrants here, and then evaluate what we need and let those people come in a way that protects our education and services for our own people.

Answer 10

No, curbing illegal immigration will help the US economy. Let all the legal immigrants into the USA that our country determines it can take, however.