Feds: Immigration raids stimulate job growth
Filed under: Economy
Commonly accepted wisdom states that, as things currently stand, immigrants fill jobs that most native-born American workers don't want. However, a report by the Center for Immigration Studies recently found that, when the feds come banging on the door of a factory, net new jobs are created. According to the study, immigration raids neither cripple a factory nor result in the return of illegal labor. In fact, the center says that the raided plants were up and running again -- with full staffs -- within months, and most of the positions occupied by illegal immigrants were staffed with legal employees.
The exact composition of the post-raid workforce varies by region. In the western portion of the country, a raid on a plant that had a workforce comprised mostly of Hispanic employees (90 percent), the undocumented employees were replaced mostly by U.S.-born Hispanics and white employees. In North Carolina, however, a facility whose workforce was 80 percent Hispanic before an investigation saw illegal employees replaced mostly by African-American employees, who now comprise 70 percent of the company's employee base. In the Great Plains states, a growing number of Sudanese, Somalis and Southeast Asian immigrants are finding positions at food-processing plants.
Constrained economic conditions are playing a role in post-raid employment composition, as Americans born in the United States are more willing to take jobs that were once the domain of undocumented labor. In some cases, these workers are filling a majority of the available positions: on construction sites, for example, employees born in the United States outnumber immigrants by a 3:1 ratio and they outnumber immigrants by a ratio of 2:1 in farming, fishing and forestry jobs.
In addition to effectively creating more jobs, federal investigations are leading to higher wages. Following a raid on several food-processing facilities, for example, increased pay was necessary to bring legal employees into the factory, as the fresh memory of federal intervention drove away the illegal labor pool.
While the benefits to people authorized to work in the United States are salient, the situation is probably not as rosy for factories as the immigration authorities would have you believe. Though it only takes a plant a few months to return to full capacity, that lost productivity has a clear impact on the value produced by factory assets and employees. The increase in wages -- and, ostensibly, other costs related to compliance with employment regulations -- adds another layer of expense that did not exist prior to the raids. This, in turn, puts more pressure on manufacturers.
Thus, raids create jobs, but these jobs come at a price. Although employers should be paying these costs anyway, it doesn't change the fact that the increased expenses may be devastating for many companies. In the past, illegal immigrants would have returned to factory positions following an immigration raid, but a difficult labor market has changed this dynamic, with legal workers backfilling those who were not. Production costs go up, but immigration enforcement nonetheless is acting as a small stimulus program.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-14-2009 @ 6:14PM
MadMommy said...
The jobs currently being held by illegal immigrants are badly needed by American citizens and their families. The myth of "jobs that American worker won't do" is a lie that liberals tell us because they want to encourage employers to hire illegal workers. But it IS against the law to employ illegal workers and employers should be heavily fined for having ANY illegal workers on their payrolls.
Without jobs, illegal workers will go home to Mexico and take their families with them.
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9-14-2009 @ 7:08PM
Deborah said...
Glad to see the myth about the so-called jobs Americans don't want becuase I have witnessed far too many Americans who were doing those jobs and then simply replaced by cheap illegal workers. MadMommy, why do you blame the liberals for this? It was the money hungry corporate Republicans who love, love, love to have cheap labor and are happy to have vulnerable illegal labor who will put up with horrible conditions and just live without the basics that Americans fought so hard for in the workplace.
It is also NOT the liberals who happily ship jobs overseas but money grubbing, silver spooned corporate REPUBLICANS who do this time and time again and then laugh at poor, disillusioned, working class conservative Republicans who cannot see that their own continuously screws them over and over again while they sit back and get corporate kickbacks and subsidies. You can get into all the hissy fits you want to but this country was built rather quickly by free slave labor and has never gotten over it's taste for that which is why American workers are punished for fighting for the most decent working conditions like fair pay, decent working hours, safe conditions, even a darn bathroom break! It was not the liberals advocating illegal labor, it was the greedy cost conscious Republicans who by owning corporate America, indirectly run/ own/ operate America! It was that same greed that got the Native Indians here killed to get this entire continent. GREED!
9-14-2009 @ 6:42PM
OhComeOnNow said...
The area where I live we have Tyson's ,they were proven to be bringing in illegal mexicans, and busted, but it didn't take long to get right back where they were. They now have broadened their scope though and will send to Nashville to get immigrants from the churches there. Last time they did it there were over 100 jobs to fill they arranged to have immigrants bused in the night before who slept out in front of the unemployment office to be first in line, they had people looking for housing from these people the week before, asking where people without referrences and green cards could get housing. They were tring to find about 50 homes they said, this was before Tysons reported they would be posting jobs for hire.Now mind you this is an area that has very high unemployment, and those jobs were despertly needed by the residents who are losing homes as we speak.
Oh and for the stupid poke above about"liberals" well this is a good ole boy solid red area , republican to the bone area............. They keep any thing remotely democratic pushed out as quick as they can.... SO sorry it is not the libs here doing it
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9-14-2009 @ 7:28PM
Brittanicus said...
Of all the Immigration enforcements laws that really works E-Verify has settled in to removing illegal immigrants from the workplace. E-Verify is being upgraded continually and marked workers can have errors resolved at their nearest Social Security office? But there is a "Sunset Provision" that could determine its future, since it’s specially working for the millions of jobless Americans? Supposedly E-Verification expires on September 30, only days after a Federal judge turned down a desperate delay from the despicable Special interest lobbyists led by the US Chamber of Commerce. On September 8 E-Verify, a contingency of the SAVE ACT was fully implemented mandating that all federal contractors and sub-contractors--MUST--use this computerized identification system.
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9-14-2009 @ 7:30PM
Brittanicus said...
Of all the Immigration enforcements laws that really works E-Verify has settled in to removing illegal immigrants from the workplace. E-Verify is being upgraded continually and marked workers can have errors resolved at their nearest Social Security office? But there is a "Sunset Provision" that could determine its future, since it’s specially working for the millions of jobless Americans? Supposedly E-Verification expires on September 30, only days after a Federal judge turned down a desperate delay from the despicable Special interest lobbyists led by the US Chamber of Commerce. On September 8 E-Verify, a contingency of the SAVE ACT was fully implemented mandating that all federal contractors and sub-contractors--MUST--use this computerized identification system.
The American people must understand their is tremendous pressure on anemic members of both political parties to dismantle, store or hinder the E-Verify process as they are the puppets of rich business enterprises. Then Rep. JOE WILSON R-NC) opened the proverbial humongous can of worms in the full house chamber.
We must endeavor to continue on raising our voices against the powerful forces that think nothing more than to destroy this valuable commodity called E-Verify. Overtime it will rid from every workplaces of millions of illegal workers, who think they are safe from government intervention. It will save billions of dollars being exported to other lands and sever the tolerant welfare programs, health care, education accessed by illegal low wage earners. E-Verify could introduced in all medical facilities, to check a persons national identity. The expedited message will spread and these lawbreakers will realize that it's fruitless to keep on applying for jobs. Eventually families will start to pack-up and depart for every corner of the earth. But it's up to the American voter to keep relentlessly calling the Washington switchboard 202-224-3121contacting their politicians.
Evaluate each lawmaker at NUMBERSUSA or JUDICIAL WATCH and command them to enforce E-Verify permanently. Not Voluntary for every business, but a mandatory addition for each employer. Fulfill their obligation to build the fence according to Rep. Duncan Hunter R-CA. Keep training the regular police according to the Federal 287 G directive,. Not to Rescind the No Match letter or desist ICE raids or weaken any other enforcement law, such as the 1986 Immigration Control & Reform Act. Fed's should restrict SANCTUARY CITY & STATE policies. NOW IT'S UP TO YOU? STARTLING WEBSITE! GOOGLE---IMMIGRATIONCOUNTERS.
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9-15-2009 @ 11:12AM
Delaware Bob said...
I can’t say the ILLEGAL ALIENS are completely to blame for the shape of our economy, but they are a BIG part of the problem. The ILLEGAL ALIENS send BILLIONS upon BILLIONS out of this Country every year, money we will NEVER see again. Does this help our economy?
How about the BILLIONS the American taxpayers fork out for the ILLEGAL ALIEN BABIES, the schooling of them, the medical care and the list goes on, and on, and on.
How about the MILLIONS upon MILLIONS paid to jail ILLEGAL ALIENS for the crimes, then the cost to deport them. Does this help our economy?
Then you have these activist groups, the Catholic Church and the ACLU that want AMNESTY for these ILLEGAL ALIENS. It would be absolute suicide for this Country if AMNESTY were granted to the 20 million or so ILLEGAL ALIENS. We have more and more people out of work everyday and they want to add another 20 million to this Country? I say, “NO”!
If AMNESTY were ever granted to these 20 million ILLEGAL ALIENS, you can bet big money that 3 years from now, there would be ANOTHER 3-5 million ILLEGAL ALIENS demonstrating on our soil for AMNESTY.
An end MUST come to this illegal immigration. The perfect tool we have so far is E-Verify. It MUST be used by ALL businesses and Government Social Services. EVERY employee must be checked! If they are illegal, they are to be dismissed!
I believe it is time for all 50 States to pass a State law, like Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and a few others. It is time for these ILLEGAL ALIENS to go back to their home Country and get out of this Country. The problems they are causing will not go away until the ILLEGAL ALIENS are out of this Country. I think that is plain to see.
It's time for ZERO TOLERENCE with these ILLEGAL ALIENS. It's time for them to get back to their own country where they belong.
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