Do you REALLY believe immgration´s beneficial to our economy?!?

Question

As an economics graduate I am repeatedly hearing spurious assertions made regarding this issue. Immigration CAN of course be beneficial, especially in the short-term.

Maintaining the current taxpayer/beneficiary ratio would require millions of immigrants every year. But IMMIGRANTS GET OLD, too. So still more immigrants would be needed to pay their benefits – one estimate suggest 180 million by 2080.

Low cost workers stifle investment, as companies continue to use cheap leabour instead of investing in technology which could ultimately replace labour. Technologhical advancement is the source of real per capita economic growth. Depressed wages also affect the poorest people - which can have social/political consequences - the rise of the BNP?

Immigrants do play a vital part in our economy, importing skilled workers to bridge a shortage gap is a good thing - the NHS is an example. But just how ethical it is to poach medical staff from the poorest countries of the world?

Answer 1

It seems to me that, apart from the desirablility of freedom of movement in itself, classical economic theory would suggest that all forms of free trade, including freedom of labour to respond to market forces, shoud be good for the economy as a whole.

It is of course true that free trade cannot be completely uncontrolled, because it would lead to abusive monopolies, and that unregulated free markets would lead to vulnerable people suffering; but I believe that the countries which can best embrace globalisation in all its forms will gain advantages over those that resist the inevitable.

The success of immigrants in finding work in the UK while natives remain unemployed is a message to us as a country that we really really need to focus on education, training, cultural attitudes to work, incentives, and benefit reforms. This is the way that the UK will become more successful, not by whinging about immigration.

Answer 2

I have no degree in economics, but I would like to point out one fact which you omitted.

"Depressed wages also affect the poorest people...", you wrote. You seem to forget that the cost of labour is a part ofthe final product or service price. So, for example, if you want to pay more to the farmer, baker, supermarket etc., the loaf of bread will cost 6Ł instead of 60p. Outcome?
1/ Hyperinflation - the value of money will decrease faster than the wages will increases. You should know, what is hyperinlation's impact on the economy.
2/ Overpriced products will not be able to win with the competitors on the global market, so no one will want to buy the British ones. You all know one real life example - Rover has been over...
Simply, you can not pay more for the job than it is worth.

Answer 3

It is a buyers market.

Less is about your particular skills and experience but more about whether you are the right person and price and if not somebody else is always waiting.

There should be structured skilled migration when
nobody else can do the job in this country which is rational;
such as specialist botanists to work at kew developing tropical species but unfortunately there is an increase in unskilled migrants from Europe who are freely allowed to work and settle here and are justified because they are doing the jobs that nobody else wants to do.

I say unfortunate because it has been government cuts in the health sector that has forced down the pay and working conditions of many health carers are home and in hospitals that force many people here to look for work elsewhere. It is the supermarkets who have swallowed up the traditional shop fronts to supply groceries on mass and at very low wholesale prices to pass the benfits onto customers to compete that produce the very cheap labour that is filled by migrants. The reality is that businesses have more rights than citizens and the government helps them.

Answer 4

Legal immigration has been the backbone of our nation's growth and prosperity. The drain on our nation's resources are varied from illegals getting social benefits to the progressive tax structure that penalizes success while giving out these social benefits.

There is nothing wrong with border security and enforcing immigration laws to determine the quality of immigrant who wants to come here and assimilate and prosper. This does not refer to one's ethnic or cultural background.
At the same time, our current tax code is too convoluted and only gives politicians the impetus to generate federal spending. A simplified code such as a flat tax and a reduced corporate tax would provide plenty of money to the Treasury as well as create more jobs AND put more money into a wage earners pockets.

The best way to ensure the future of those who get old ( I may fall into this catagory) is to allow for the privatization of Social Security.

I'm not sure what you were referring to by "poaching medical staff from poorer countries". If you look carefully at those countries with poor economies, you will find that they usually have no civilian government structure and retard economic growth with suppressive regimes.

Answer 5

Nesbo, at last a bit of sense on this most misunderstood subject. If the increase in house prices due to mass immigration is taken into consideration immigrants are a cost. to the UK. Yes as you say there is a short term benefit at most 2% but this will eventually be a cost and when a real recession comes it could be a disaster.Please take a look at the links below in particular the 2nd one.

Answer 6

Immigrants get old yes, they're seeking for free hand out and burden to u.s tax payers.

we live in a world today that every thing manufactures bit / piece come from every part of the world.

Talent and Skills can be teach / learn bought / sold over internet.

5 millions of u.s jobs out source over sea to china / mexico and else where.

Answer 7

It used to be but today 2010 it's no longer. All Immigration needs to be stopped until all the illegals are removed and the economy comes back.

Answer 8

The greedy corporate heads made it difficult for immigrants to come to work and then go back to their families. Now they're putting up walls so it's absolutely impossible.

Ask the corporations whether this benefits them, or the economy

Answer 9

Labour want immigration 'cos they will all vote Labour so they think

Tory want immigration 'cos they think it will bring wages down
so they think

The rest of us think that a little immigration is not a bad thing ,but when this half baked lying treacherous murdering government lost control of the borders of this country it makes the whole thing academic.

I hope Enoch Powell was wrong but let us wait and see

Answer 10

getting the skilled workers to work here while not contributing to their education and training is like a daylight robbery to your own community and the counties who face brain drain. the fact is many more UK citizen go abroad to get fat, well paid job jobs as well as exports it goods, some one gets a top job ( for example in Dubai. and sent orders for machinery, materials, experts etc from UK factories, they may even built the factories there for cheap labour), thus keeping the economy growing here in UK, but these matter are not mentioned much.