Would Wages Be Higher if 12 Million Illegal Aliens Weren't in the US?

Answer 1

It definitely would be higher for the farm workers, landscapers, cleaners, and construction workers but not for the rest.

Answer 2

Yes for two reasons.
First the illegal aliens drive wages down by accepting lower wages as in illegal under the table payoff schemes.
Second they cost us billions of dollars of social services and healthcare. These costs could be eliminated if the illegals were eliminated.

Answer 3

Not really. First of all Americans are too proud to pick fruit and mop floors for a living.

On the one hand, there would be higher wages, but far fewer workers, due to higher labor costs, and the quality the employers look for would suffer because Americans are picking fruit to get paid and would mop floors with a bad attitude, instead of looking at the job as an opportunity to feed their families and start a better life.

Answer 4

On the margin and more in some occupations than others but not in any job for which you need a HS diploma.

But you need to look at the long term implications - even if you do some mindless task for a living, the consequences of not having enough people willing to do it cheaply are that ultimately the task will be mechanized. Google "John Deere" if you don't believe me.

Answer 5

I don't think there is any question that the wages paid to illegals undermines all wages and exerts downward pressure on them. Let's face it, if your employer can hire another to do your job for less money, the likelihood is that, given the opportunity, he would fire you and hire the cheaper worker.

Answer 6

i live in southern california. the answer is definately yes. before i came to l.a. i lived in northern cali. as soon as i got here i noticed that the wages were at least $2 to $3 lower. it's a myth that illegals only do low paying work. the whole construction industry here is dominated by illegals making $25 an hour. also, where illegals prosper, they don't hire americans. they're speaking spanish, you're not. also, they don't want you to know how their game plan works.

Answer 7

I've seen a couple people say the tax burden would be lower, which it could be. The wages won't go up a lot but the government would have more money to embezzle for themselves.

Answer 8

Wages would likely be higher for low-skilled labor intnsive jobs.

However, prices would be higher too.

Answer 9

Yes but that would be bad for US competitivity , US wages need to get to the level of Chinese wages.

Answer 10

No question about it. Those jobs have to be done and they would have to pay more for them. True, that could mean that the product cost would raise as well to cover the increase in pay but if it is full time more people would get health care and child care and we would be taking care of the people who came here legally and who were born here.