The Size of the Illegal Immigrant Threat To American Workers?

Question

I assuming the total number of workers in America is 1/2 of the population. 150 million workers.

The Pew Hispanic Center Fact Sheet March 2006 estimates 11.5-12 million illegals in the US.

Lets assume that 75% of these illegals are working. 9 million.

That gives 6% of American workers are illegals.

And I think it is really closer to 6 million illegal workers because some illegals only work part of the year and probably more of those 12 million people are children or mothers with small children and some old people taking care of grand children so both of the parents can work. So that means 4%.

Does this look like a major threat to America?

Dee N: I agree that the immigration debate is more than just jobs. I would look forward to talking about those things too sometime.

Hi slew: I think you are making apples oranges comparisons. Diesease vectors and epidemic thresholds are very different from the illegal economic effects IMO.

And the interest rate and stock market doesn't compare to this at all because I am talking about %s of total workers not the % cost of money.

Nacho: I thought Ms. Amanda wrote very well about the American Dream tonight. She is one lady who really knows what's going on and knows what she talks about.

You can think I am young and dumb but if you disagree and want to argue I would be happy if you told me where you think I am wrong with facts or reasoning.

answering machine: I hope that my argument shows that illegals are not possibly a large competition for jobs to Americans. I can believe that there is some job competition but it is not enough to be a terrible threat.

Answer 1

I think we are not focusing in the problem correctly. It is not one single factor that is provoking the people migrating to the US, and there is not one single impact. The whole issue is much more complicated than it seems.

I believe that the mathematical analysis is not being made properly, but I do recognize brings a new perspective to the issue. Illegal workers are concentrated in key states of the US. This means that while in places like Montana probably the only immigrants there come from Canada, in Arizona illegals may seem to come out of the trees.

Now, illegal immigrations IT is ONLY about work (that is why I stress about talking about illegal workers rather than illegal immigrants), but the thing is that Americans do not try to defend their identity, their security, which is different. This provokes that everything is a threat to their lives, as if anything from outside is a terrorist, a thief, a drug dealer or a kidnapper. On the majority of the countries around the world, citizens try to protect their national identity, which is entirely different form national security, and this is very difficult for Americans to understand.

To set an example, French hate McDonald's in France because it's like the American culture will damage their national identity. In fact, lots of countries hate anything American being exposed in the streets because they fear to fall to the soulless consumption life that the US promotes around the globe. It is not only because of the American intrusions in other countries, that US is probably the most hated country around the world. (I clarify that I put these examples not to be rude or to insult, but to explain the difference of point-of-views of Americans and people from other countries.)

What is my point here? That playing the victim will never get you anywhere. Since the Americans think everything is about national security, they will see illegals as terrorists; but if they would start seeing the problem as national identity, they would really focus on the real issue and not deviate on political wars. On the end, almost half the territory of the US once belonged to Mexico, which is why is practically impossible to erase their Hispanic heritage... unless they would start calling Los Angeles as The Angels, San Antonio as Saint Anthony, Nevada as Snowed, and the Colorado River as the Red River.

And it is the same elsewhere. Even though French, Italians, Thai or Brazilians may hate Americans, on the end they still got Wal-Marts, MTV, Disney, McDonald's, Beyoncé, and The Simpsons all over the place. So rather to learn how to live with it, lots of them only succumb to despair, bitterness and hate.

Americans should not fear cultural influences from abroad. After Mexico City, Los Angeles is the second city in the world with the most Spanish speakers, and we cannot do anything about it, but enjoy it. Spanish is a beautiful language, and Latin American culture can bring spice and warmth to a cold, scared American society.

I agree with someone up there saying that illegal workers are willing to work for 4 USD the hour... which is completely natural, since in Mexico the minimum wage is of 3 USD the day. Working 1 single day in the US will make them earn as much as 1 week. But then again, the problem is not that they're willing to do that, but that the American companies are willing to pay that.

Some days ago I talked about one of the things that could help heal the situation is to have American companies really paying minimum salary plus benefits as dictated by law. In this way, everybody would have the same chance to get a job.

I know it is hard to not get passionate about this, and let our feelings talk, but this requires our brains to sort this problem out.

Hope you find this helpful.

Answer 2

The threat is HUGE. i have personally seen American veterans of our armed service get turned down for jobs because they want at least 7-8 bucks an hour to do a labor job, but these proud wonderful vets get turned away in exchange for an illegal worker who will work for 4 bucks an hour. And this illegal worker's wife had a baby in America, so who is American, and they get food stamps and welfare even though they are illegal. It's a vicious cycle. And it's sad.

In my area vets are not given jobs. Also people who are born and raised here and who love this country more than anything can't get jobs without college degrees because that market is dominated by illegals. They are not treated respectfully. It's a disgrace.

Answer 3

You are pretending the immigration debate is over competition for jobs. It is a much more involved issue with many negative impacts on American Society. People like you and Amanda try so hard to minimize the true issues. One thing that I have not seen mentioned here or in any question is the fact that a HUGE number of jobs require bilingual speaking employees because of all the illegals that refuse to learn English. How many Americans does that leave out of the job market? And yes America does have an official language -
English. And don't tell me that I should have to learn Spanish!!!

Answer 4

If one US citizen loses a job to an illegal immigrant then there is a large threat to US workers. Why? if one job loss then why not ten, or a hundred or a million.

Come to the US legally, there is a reason for immigration limits and keeping our citizens employed at a fair wage is one of them.

Personally I think that when an illegal is caught all of his [her] assets should be confiscated and placed in a pool for the unemployed and to subsidize the social programs and services that they are overtaxing [e.g. Hospitals]

Answer 5

The only reliable method of determining the total of unemployed workers there are is the number of people filing for unemployment benefits. As illegal aliens are highly unlikely to even attempt to file for such benefits, there is simply no way to know how many are out of work.

Answer 6

I don't believe at all in a notion that some foreign workers will take jobs away from Americans. I think, if you are good in whatever you're doing, no one will take your job away.
In order to apply on any more and less well-payed position in the US, you must provide an evidence of your legal status. No one will hire a teacher, or a doctor or police officer, who is illegal immigrant. Jobs that illegal immigrants take are usually low-paid manual labor that no sane American would perform. So, no, I definetely don't believe in any threat to American workers, particularly from illegal immigrants.

Answer 7

No, I don't think it's a threat. I mean, it's a pathetic situation when our companies prefer to hire illegal Mexicans who don't speak English than Americans who have been in the country their whole lives. It just tells you something about the American work ethic.

Answer 8

This stuff about illegals working jobs Americans wont is a lie!!!!!!!! I know plenty of people who'll gladly work these farming, construction, and service industry jobs. Why dont they? Because, employers will not hire them!!!!!!!! They will not work for $4.00-$5.00 an hour like some day laborer. Minimum wage in this state is $7.93 an hour.

Answer 9

Your math is good, some undocumented make good money but most work for less than minimum wage, What I hear from Americans is we will do the work if they paid more,People are in business to make money and if they keep their labor cost down, they make more money. If you want to compete for those jobs , you have to accept them as they are offered, and if your work is good enough ask for a raise.
I was looking at a CNN special about South Africa's poor White's, That could not get good paying jobs,Were worried about losing their language and culture. That the blacks were giving the good jobs to blacks. The exact things they were doing to blacks when they had power, The world is changing and those that go along with the changes and make the best of what they have, will feel the changes the least. You have to remember that all the good jobs were given to whites by whites. History may repeat itself ,as it is in South Africa today.

Answer 10

The Pew Hispanic Center Fact sheet? We know your buyist from the start, retard.