Nationally, immigration is expected to become an increasingly critical source of new workers and economic vibrancy in the coming decades.
It’s a silver lining at a time when huge immigrant flows that started in 2022 are straining state and local resources across the country and drawing political backlash. While the influx may pose near-term challenges, it is also boosting the American economy’s potential. Employers today are managing to hire rapidly partly because of the incoming labor supply. The Congressional Budget Office has already revised up both its population and its economic growth projections for the next decade in light of the wave of newcomers.
One-third to half of last year’s wave of immigrants came in through legal channels, with work visas or green cards, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis. But a jump in unauthorized immigrants entering the country has also been behind the surge, the economists estimate.
Many recent immigrants have concentrated in certain cities, often to be near other immigrants or in some cases because they were bused there by the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, after crossing the border. Miami, Denver, Chicago and New York have all been big recipients of newcomers.
The Biden administration has used its executive authority to open a back door to allow thousands of migrants into the United States temporarily, while also taking steps to repair the legal refugee program. But as Democratic leaders have joined Republicans in criticizing President Biden over migration in recent months, he has embraced a more conservative tone, even pledging to “shut down” the border if Congress passed a bill empowering him to do so.
Politics are not the only wild card: The economy could also slow. If that happened, fewer immigrants might want to come to the United States, and those who did might struggle to find work.
The way to get more workers is not to import lots of people we have nothing in common with into this country (who just so happen to be bribed into voting for a particular party) – the solution to get more workers is to stop paying people not to work. He who does not work does not eat. Go starve to death in some street corner if you are capable of working but instead choose to sit on Welfare. No one cares if it's not the perfect job, life is hard, deal with it.
Currently 900,000 jobs unfilled in nursing homes and assisted living, not counting demand for in-home care. We need immigrants: and they do a great job of caring for our families.
@ResolvedPonieSocialist2wks2W
"Labor shortage" is such a brutal euphemism for "employer refuses to pay high enough wages".
These all seem like nice people, but really they're letting the employers get away with underpaying them and underpaying their existing workers.
When will the MAGA people realize that immigrants are needed and good for the economy. It is that first generation of immigrants who perform those jobs that native-born Americans are loathe to do because they are hard and often don’t pay well. Immigrants who are legally employed are unlikely to be involved in criminal activity- they are too tired from working to do so. They raise families that realize a good education is necessary to get ahead and provide a better life for their children.
Immigrants are a positive to this country and it is about time we realize that and give them a pathway to legalization.
Immigrants are extremely vulnerable to government bribery – Welfare, food stamps, education, ad infinitum – because they're starting from scratch. If you people agreed to abolish the Welfare State, we wouldn't care as much about this happening. It's still bad for other reasons, but the fact that the government is plundering our money through so-called "taxes" (theft) to pay for these people to sit at home watching TV ticks us all off.
I empathize with the people who are being forced to move because I was forced to move recently. In my case I did not have to migrate to another country, I just had to become internally displaced because there were options within my own country.
I had to leave my home in California two years ago and start all over again at 63 because of climate change impacts. And I was lucky to be able to do so. It's expensive to move 2,500 miles.
I didn’t want a lung disease from breathing toxic wildfire smoke and I didn’t fancy dying in melting plastic while stuck in traffic trying to flee… Read more
@GraciousPandaUnity2wks2W
Our current rate of immigration may help some people - namely the people that get to take advantage of cheap labor. But the lower income people who need the most help are the ones most negatively affected by this.
I'm sure corporations love it. A large supply of cheap labor and competition for low wage jobs depresses wages and allows them to continue paying people less than what they should.
I feel for immigrants who feel they need to come here, but our responsibility is to our own citizens and our country as a whole first and foremost. There are many different policies and regulations and programs needed to help lower income Americans, but sharply limiting immigration should also be one of them. We need to create competition among corporations for workers, which will raise wages, rather than creating competition among workers for job.
@JubilantTunaGreen2wks2W
Lower income people will still be able to retire because immigrants will be paying for their Social Security and Medicare.
The jobs being filled are ones that are already open. If you want higher wages, vote Democratic, because only Democrats support increasing the minimum wage, unions, and making technical schools, community colleges, and university affordable.
@WittyBipartisanDemocrat2wks2W
Please remember that all of our ancestors - except for Native Americans - originally came from other countries. We are nearly all descendants of immigrants.
@K3ynesianAmeliaDemocrat2wks2W
There is so much that we need to improve in the US. However, reading these stories makes me feel proud to be American. These immigrants embody the “American spirit”. They are participating in this national experiment that ourselves and our ancestors participated in. They are carrying the torch forward. Reading about a Congolese lobsterman, how cool is that?
Agreed, with one caveat: the $16/hour. We desperate need to raise the minimum wage for workers. That's $25,000 take home annually after taxes, and I am presuming minimal benefits here. Though thankful for employers like these in Maine, but even in the woods up there it would be hard to do more than survive on his income.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
Considering potential economic downturns, how should the U.S. manage immigration to ensure both support for immigrants and domestic stability?
@9LL4H6JRepublican2wks2W
All illegal immigrants should be deported. Anyone who wants to enter the United States must do so properly.
@9LHWWM32wks2W
@9LHWNRP2wks2W
There should be a controlled way for immigrants to be able to come to this country.
@9LHVMZM2wks2W
I think the government should make it where we are all equal in economic help.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
How do you think the influx of immigrants affects the job opportunities for native-born Americans?
@9LHXR6G2wks2W
Native born american should always have first pick.
@9LHWY8T2wks2W
I think it was okay just telling us more stuff we didn'tt know
@9LHWWSD2wks2W
I think that only legal immigrants should have the opportunity that a native born American has.
@9LHWFZC2wks2W
It makes it worse cause they work for cheap
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
How do you feel about the idea that immigrants are crucial for filling labor gaps in the U.S.?
@9LHXLKG2wks2W
They are living in Nice Hotels for free,when our own american people is sitting homeless on the streets. That is outrageous.
@9LHVLZZ2wks2W
I don’t think they are necessary, there are many Americans who could fill these gaps, but the government is supporting them not working by giving subsidies
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