Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Immigration Myths and Facts


►This headline is a hot link to a comprehensive policy paper. 
Go to the link for a multitude of details. 
The original piece is embedded in the next post, but the font is very small. 
The original has alternative download options -- pdf, etc. 

JOBS 
MYTH: Every job filled by an immigrant is a job that could be filled by an unemployed American.
FACT: Immigrants typically do not compete for jobs with native-born workers and immigrants create jobs as entrepreneurs,consumers, and taxpayers. 
WAGES 
MYTH: Immigrants drive down the wages of American workers.
FACT: Immigrants give a slight boost to the average wages of Americans By increasing their productivity and stimulating investment 

ECONOMY
MYTH: The sluggish U.S. economy doesn't need more immigrant workers.
FACT: Immigrants will replenish the US. labor force as millions of Baby Boomers retire.
UNEMPLOYMENT
MYTH: At a time of high unemployment, the U.S. economy does not need temporary foreign workers.
FACT: Temporary workers from abroad fill specialized needs in specific sectors of the U.S. economy. 
HIGH-TECH WORKERS
MYTH: There is no shortfall of native-born Americans for open positions in the natural sciences, engineering, and computer science and thus no need for foreign-born high-tech workers.
FACTS: Job openings are expanding at educational levels where demographic data show too few native-born students, so we can expect these shortfalls to persist in the future.  *  See note below Moreover, relative to other economic indicators, wages are increasing in STEM jobs   (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) requiring higher education. 
COMMUNITY IMPACT
MYTH: Immigrants hurt communities that are struggling economically.
FACT: Immigrants have economically revitalized many communities throughout the country.
TAXES 
MYTH: Undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes.
FACT: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes each year
WELFARE
MYTH: Immigrants come to the United States for welfare benefits.
FACT: Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal public benefit programs, and even legal immigrants face stringent eligibility restrictions.
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* Note: 
Regarding high-tech workers,  there IS a shortfall of candidates. Many companies are solving two problems at once by bringing in foreign-born workers with H1B visas to learn high-tech jobs in order to return home where they will coach others who will do those jobs at lower wages. Call it "outsourcing" if you want, but if the education standards of US schools don't generate the numbers required, transnational companies must look elsewhere for a solution. 

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