Which is a bigger threat to our workforce, exportation of American jobs or illegal immigration?

Question

In my town, Hershey made the announcement last February that they will shut down several American plants and move the work to Mexico. They site high sugar and labor costs as reasons for the move. The mexican workers will make around 8.00 an day as opposed to the 18.00 a hour the American workers are making. This month the first 100 employees were laid off and by the end of the year they will let the other 500 go. This seems to be a growing trend, the movement of jobs. Everyone has been focused on illegal immigrants taking jobs away from Americans but I am wondering which is worse?So, which do you think is a bigger threat, illegal immigrants or the exportation of jobs? Why?

Answer 1

If I work somewhere and illegals work there driving down the amount I make, it would suck. I would make less. If my job went to India, however, I would have no job at all. I think that would be worse.

Answer 2

I had no idea this was happening, but the way you describe it, it does seem to be a bigger threat. However, I am also opposed to illegal immigrants taking jobs away from Americans. I'm not blaming the large companies or the immigrants as much as I blame the government for it's total lack of supervision and control. That to me is the biggest threat to the American work force and the economy.

Answer 3

Exportation is worse because the job actually leaves the country. With illegal immigration a lot of these guys are willing to do jobs that no American will do. But at least the job is still in America and if someone legal wanted to try and get the job at least they have that opportunity. If the job was in another country then there is no opportunity.

Answer 4

Work force exportation is the reason the US dollar is falling at a rapid rate. I say scrap these free-trade agreements and bring back tariffs on imported goods made from cheap and or slave labor.
Not to mention that corporations are going to places where the environmental laws are non existent so the don't need to install pollution control devices. And where workers rights don't exist. Sure the items they sell are apparently less expensive but what is the real price we are paying.
The blood sweat and tears of the unfortunate that get paid a pittance and the destruction of the earth by unfettered pollution.

Answer 5

The biggest threat is big business who has stripped out loyal employee's and replacing the work force with disposable contracting employee's. Contracting has weakened the security of employment.

I thought I would never say this, but I wish Unions would regain in power.

I would like to see Contracting Companies Crushed, they put up a office some place with an admistrative staff, stick their hand in my wallet and send me off to work for them at less than the position pays. Oh and I can be let go for "ANY" reason.

Answer 6

It is becoming a one world economy. Corporations exist to generate profit for their shareholders not to supply workers with jobs. Pretty soon illegal imigrants won't want to come here anymore because the jobs will be in their home countries. This is all pretty disturbing. I blame labor unions for a lot of these problems as they have priced the american worker out of their jobs in this world economy.

Answer 7

Neither. The biggest threats to the semi-skilled workforce are low interest rates (who wants to hire ten workers if you can hire one worker and lease a machine that will do twenty workers' worth or work at the same cost?) and high land values (who wants to build factories on expensive land when cheaper land is available elsewhere?)

Answer 8

Lack of oil, a contracting economy.

When things cant get done in the country because there is not enough energy you need to make them overseas and then import them. In the resulting economic contraction companies are not capable of paying high wages and must resort to slavery. Covert slavery, thats it.

American consumers depend on slaves, both inside the country in the form of underpaid mexicans or abroad in the form of chinamen.

I'm not saying your country "needs" slavery in principle, but has to unless a new energy source gets discovered and implemented.

Answer 9

Job exportation. At least a little of the money stays here with the immigrants.

Answer 10

It seems that the ages old import/export argument is killing our economy. Add in the illegal immigrants are benefiting from our government's welfare and it seems there's little value in good, honest work ethics for many in our country any more.