Judd Legum: Immigrants are saving the American economy

[Nevilledog]

https://popular.info/p/immigrants-are-saving-the-american

In his 2024 campaign, like his previous campaigns, Trump is pitting native-born Americans against immigrants. Sometimes, this is expressed through rank bigotry. Trump has claimed repeatedly that undocumented immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country," a phrase with a dark history. In other instances, Trump makes more specific claims about the impact of immigrants on the American economy. In a February rally in Michigan, Trump told the crowd that immigrants coming into the country are "going to take your jobs." During his presidency, Trump imposed significant restrictions on legal immigration, arguing that new arrivals displace American workers and reduce wages.

New data, however, confirms that these claims are false. Rather, immigrants have powered the remarkable recovery of the US economy after the shock of the pandemic.

In 2023, the US economy grew at a 2.5% rate, "outpacing all other advanced economies." The US is on track "to do so again in 2024." This is only possible because of a substantial increase in immigration.

Since February 2020, there has been no net job growth among native-born Americans. One reason is that the native-born workforce is flat or shrinking. Baby boomers are retiring, and birth rates remain low. But there has been substantial job growth in the US since February 2020 because more immigrants are working.

*snip*

[CrispyQ]

1. I'm still looking for the American fruit picker who lost their job to an immigrant. -- FB meme -nt

[SweepPicker]

2. This is great

but as an owner of a small drywall and painting business, the undocumented are also hurting my trades. They drive down prices and wages which in turn discourages people from entering the trades. Some may see this as a benefit (contractors homeowners looking for deals) but it does hurt many tradesmen. Many do not pay taxes and are a drain on local economies including health care and the educational system.

[Poiuyt]

3. We need to change the way we view immigrants

Immigrants need to be looked upon as resources rather than burdens

[littlemissmartypants]

4. There's So Much research that supports that hypothesis.

It's a shame more people don't read it and promote the fully demonstrated factual notion. Like say...journalists maybe?

[Traurigkeit]

6. All that has to happen is that HISTORY is taught in every, and I mean every school in the United States.

So many "Americans" never learned how their Great Grandmother got here or that the papers of the 1870s weren't "correct" and they could presently be an ILLEGAL immigrant if the Republicans have their way.

The lack of education, deliberate, in over 40% of those "Americans" causes the problem.

Charles Dickens wrote about this so many times but the best paragraphs were in 'A Christmas Carol'

Ignorance (boy) & Want (girl)

Watch out of the boy for on his forehead is marked DOOM.

[Elessar Zappa]

5. Yes and we need millions more.

Seriously. There’s not enough workers in areas like medicine (nurses and care-givers in particular), construction, skilled labor such as plumbing, welding, electricians, etc.