Immigrants Don't Take Jobs From Americans Fed Study Says

["Mad" Miles]

Immigrants Don't Take Jobs From Americans, Fed Study Says

Bloomberg


By Courtney Schlisserman - Aug 30, 2010 2:05 PM PT Mon Aug 30 21:05:44 GMT 2010

Immigration has no “significant” effect on the number of jobs available to U.S.-born workers and helps boost incomes and productivity over time, according to a paper by an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

(Snip)

Oh wait, this report is from an economist who works for the FED.

The FED is an evil Socialist tool to destroy our lives.

Therefore this report must be a lie.

Q.E.D.

Never mind!

[Artaloha]

The Federal Reserve Bank is not a government entity - it's actually a private bank.
Tricky, huh?
I agree with you, though, that this "report" is not truthful, or not entirely truthful - I believe that illegal immigration does, in fact, destabilize the job market in that these people are exploited and underpaid, causing American workers to lose those jobs that otherwise would pay at least the minimum wage. I think this income destabilization factor is the main reason the Bush administration refused to protect US borders - it's just too enticing to think of all those desperate people willing to work for next to nothing and putting pressure on the lowest income earners in America to accept lower wages and worse conditions ... (Meantime, the Republicans in the Senate announced today that they will oppose any new taxes on the richest Americans. I'm seriously disgusted by this news; the poorest people in America are getting stuck paying the most percentage of their income while the rich send their money offshore!)
One real obvious answer to our border problems would be to lean hard on the Mexican government to do more for their own people in terms of education, job-training, and the creation of jobs, so their citizens would not HAVE to escape their country in order to make any kind of a living.

["Mad" Miles]

Artaloha,

While you make good points, and the entire debate is worth debating, my entire commentary, post (snip) was completely facetious, in response to various outlier claims about the threat from the "Liberal establishment" to our very well being. An ongoing commentary in an absurd debate that is completely tangential to the real issues at hand.

Just watched a great documentary about the history of modern Chicano music from East L.A. "The Land of 1,000 Dances", a much more interesting topic worthy of serious discussion.

To be continued, I am absolutely certain,

[lynn]

And, I will simply add to Arts post...I've heard the stories (1st person), and instances where people are losing jobs because of illegal immigration...Low contract bids, 'cause the other guy can bid so darn low, 'cause he's payin' a lousy wage to illegals, while the other bidder wants to pay a decent wage to citizens/legal workers...
The situation is a mess...
We know the frustration, and anger around this situation...It's nuts to not be enforcing our own laws when it's beneficial to the citizenry to do so...

[podfish]

...Low contract bids, 'cause the other guy can bid so darn low, 'cause he's payin' a lousy wage to illegals, while the other bidder wants to pay a decent wage to citizens/legal workers.....It's nuts to not be enforcing our own laws when it's beneficial to the citizenry to do so...

I find it baffling that the people affected by this (not referring you, Lynn) don't aim their outrage at the employers and even more at the lack of laws targeting employers; instead, overwhelmingly what I hear are complaints about the workers. I'd think a better strategy would be to ally with them by creating and enforcing pay-fair-wage laws.
It's true that the Obama administration's push for government regulation on businesses is going to drive up some costs, and make it harder for them to operate. Sometimes though you just have to accept that you get what you pay for. The 'free market' self-regulation environment we've had for thirty years has achieved its benefits at huge costs born by those who don't directly share in the profits. 'Course you do now have iPads. along with plastic in the ocean, estrogen in the rivers, a population in unbelievable debt, expensive schooling, distorted accumulation of wealth to a few, etc. More Indians and Chinese have jobs, which is good, I suppose, but not what most people thought they were deliberately supporting.
Fortunately the new reporting requirements imposed by the health care laws, among others, coincide with the rise of information technology. I won't deny there's a whiff of big-brother in it. I do deny it can be avoided, though. Governments and businesses and for that matter international gangsters (as opposed to businesses?) and kids down the block have way too much information on all of us, and will soon have more along with better ways to organize it. So businesses will not be able to hide the fact that they have remarkably low wages. It just takes a little political will to target them rather than the workers.
And as Lynn points out, many if not most employers don't maliciously try to exploit their employees - but many feel they can't compete on an even basis with those that do. So stop a few bad guys and it'll fix itself, without the continuous intrusive government interference that so many seem to fear. Kinda like having a few streetlights... people don't misbehave as much if they don't think it'll go unnoticed.

[Tars]

I find it baffling that the people affected by this (not referring you, Lynn) don't aim their outrage at the employers and even more at the lack of laws targeting employers; instead, overwhelmingly what I hear are complaints about the workers.

Because they're different - different looking, different sounding, different culture. Different is scary. It might cause...{SHUDDER!}....change.