Is illegal immigrant employment helping or hurting the economy?

2014-10-30T21:56:27-04:00

I recently read an article about how New Hampshire has a very high number of illegal immigrants working in the state. What do you think, does it help or hurt the economy?

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/report-71-percent-new-jobs-go-foreign-born-legal-illegal-immigrants-nh

Report: 71 Percent of New Jobs Go to Foreign Born Legal, Illegal Immigrants in NH

(CNSNews.com) – A newreport by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) shows that the state with senators who both voted for the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill, which

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 10:17 PM

2014-10-30T22:17:03-04:00

I think it is hurting the opportunities to our youth as well a skilled workers. But with the way wages are it will make it hard to get people to take the jobs they currently fill.

Response by CPO William E. Mahoney made Dec 11 at 2014 10:45 PM

2014-12-11T22:45:39-05:00

I had one of NJ Senator's tell me that same thing but could not explain how someone who isn't paying taxes is helping the economy or how illegal immagrants would help creating new jobs.

Response by 1SG Nick Baker made Dec 25 at 2014 6:58 PM

2014-12-25T18:58:42-05:00

Who is willing to move to the jobs? Who is willing to get the skills needed for the jobs? Who is going to hand pick crops in the fields and replace the migrant workers? Mexico's and Canada's economies are too small to impact ours. They are our best trading partners in most cases. I am not defending illegal people or our doom and gloom politicians. The economics and illegal workers do not compute. Is oil prices down because of illegal workers in the oil field? The American people are to blame, we gave the democrats the green light. Not saying the republicans would have done better. Americans do not care; the election numbers speak volumes.

Response by SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS made Dec 25 at 2014 10:32 PM

2014-12-25T22:32:46-05:00

I am not on the fence. If the job is filled by an Illegal Immigrant, then it is hurting the economy as companies know they can fill it cheaper, with less benefits, and provide less supportive work conditions than if they hired legal US citizens.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2014 10:44 PM

2014-12-25T22:44:36-05:00

The real issue is not illegal immigrant labor; the real issues are guest worker programs and secure borders. If the border were really secure, then you can control the labor. Then with an expanded guest worker program, the immigrant can spend x amount of time to come over, "do the job that Americans won't do", send some money home, and come back next year. After x amount of years and they don't break any laws, perhaps there can be a way they can work towards a green card.

Response by SGT Marvin "Dave" Bigham made Feb 4 at 2015 10:11 AM

2015-02-04T10:11:53-05:00

BOTH. Working employees add to the growth and maintenance of the economy. Illegal immigrants pull funds, benefits, and opportunities from legal citizens that can legally apply for and receive US government aid. The net, I feel, and BAD and hurts us overall. However, there are WAY too many legal citizens they would rather not work for the low pay that illegals are willing to accept so the unemployed can draw their benefits/aid. Really, really sad.

Response by SrA Joshua Hagler made Feb 4 at 2015 9:04 PM

2015-02-04T21:04:25-05:00

Well, they work on farms and pick tomatoes for a penny each a day. I know our farm communities would take a huge hit in employment if they were all deported. Well they don't really fill jobs because they often don't fill the ones that posted, if you know what I mean. However they do help the economy by giving them "under the table" money from which they turn around and spend. I know I am willing to dig ditches and tend to fields and pull crops, if the pay was livable.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2015 9:18 PM

2015-02-04T21:18:17-05:00

It hurts but what are you going to do? Block all immigrants? It does suck that the jobs are being taken and we have so many on welfare. But over half are there by choice.

Response by 1SG David Lopez made Mar 9 at 2015 10:00 PM

2015-03-09T22:00:23-04:00

Not sure about where you live, but here in California, on the Central Coast from Santa Barabara through San Luis Obispo to the Salinas Valley which is the Lettuce Capital of the World, YOU CANNOT GET AN AMERICAN CITIZEN TO WORK THE FIELDS. Those back breaking jobs with low low pay is not geared to Americans and our lifestyle. Americans require great pay, which would drive the price of vegatables so high that we may not be able to afford them. But Americans would have a job. Personally, I have never seen an actual American last more than ONE DAY working the fields. I'm first generation Mexican American, my family started here in California working the fields. Frankly the illegal Mexicans are not taking jobs from Americans; rather we are lucky to have these illegals working for so cheap, thus we could afford eating a healthy diet of fruits and vegatables. That is the truth as I personally know it.

Response by SFC Walt Littleton made Mar 9 at 2015 11:39 PM

2015-03-09T23:39:46-04:00

First we have to determine who we have in our country. I have no problem with legal immigrants because we started there. Only documented immigrants should hold jobs and if implored hire illegals they should have to pay hefty fines. After retiring from the military I was a manager for a few different companies and we were required to use the social security data base to track all Hispanic workers who applied for employment and if the number matched then we had to record the approval number on their I-9 form. Then we had to match their SS card name to their drivers license or official State ID before we could hire them. ICE directive stated that we could still be held accountable if those documents were found to be fraudulent. We had to truly be vigilant. It worked, they were paid and taxes paid with no issues. I had 122 employees and 88 were hispanic. They were good workers for the most part. If illegals are here and in such a large number then the only way to force them to come out of hiding is to insure employers are documenting them. No documents no work. Blanketing amnesty is creating a new Welfare Group that country can sustain. It's easy you want to be here then you follow the documenting process, get a legitimate Job, pay your taxes and work towards citizenship or guest worker program. No documents, no free bees. This will bring them out into the open, get them documented or else deported without documents. Illegal is illegal period. Giving free SS cards Drivers license and benefits is criminal. Our natural born citizens don't get these benefits without working and paying into the programs. SHAMEFUL to use this tactic to get votes from a depressed ethnic community. Polititions don't have to worry about SS or Medicaid or any other program we taxpayers are saddled with. They are exempt and taken care of for life. Kinda makes you wonder doesn't it???? Huuuuummmmmm

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Mar 10 at 2015 1:03 AM

2015-03-10T01:03:59-04:00

I'm on the fence because we do have a large number of unemployed citizens, however, among that large number are people who refuse to do the jobs immigrants will do, which to me is silly as a job is better then no job but people have their "pride" on the issue. Immigrants buy stuff and when people buy stuff, doesn't matter who those people are, the economy moves forward.

Response by CW3 Craig Linghor made Mar 11 at 2015 7:40 PM

2015-03-11T19:40:14-04:00

Not a military topic.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2015 7:48 PM

2015-03-11T19:48:11-04:00

I've never seen whites or blacks mowing yards for money. Around here there must be15-20 different trailers pulling through the neighborhood, all Hispanics, mowing yards. Without them we would have to get off our lazy butts and do the yard work ourselves. We would be healthier, and probably live a lot longer with the exercise we would be getting. The reason I use Hispanics is because I had a heart attack six years ago, and I got spoiled allowing them to do it. I don't like them coming over the border because a lot of it is transferring drugs, sex trafficking, and gangsters. Just last year a truck trailer was found on the side of the road with illegals and they had been abandoned for some reason and they were all dead from the heat. They do rob the government by not paying federal taxes, taking some jobs away from legal Americans, and when you get down to it, it's just wrong.
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Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Mar 11 at 2015 8:06 PM

2015-03-11T20:06:59-04:00

ISC CPO Tim Dickey anyone who thinks that illegal workers hurt the economy needs to watch the movie "A Day Without a Mexican". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377744/?ref_=nv_sr_1

This movie explicitly shows what would happen to the economy if all illegal workers were deported.

The reality is that these folks take ZERO jobs away from Americans. Why? Because these jobs are gruellingly hard, and for a pittance of pay. Here in Washington State, there are no Americans picking apples, for instance. Why? They don't want to do this back breaking work.

In addition, many of these illegal workers DO pay taxes. Certainly their productivity results in commerce, which generates sales, income and profits taxes.

Yes, there are burdens "on the system" because of them, but I would suggest that their contribution is much larger than most people realize, and certainly larger than the costs of government services such as health care, schools, etc.

Imagine the produce shelves on stores in this country, the baked good shelves, etc., without all these workers. They'd be EMPTY...!

A Day Without a Mexican (2004)

Directed by Sergio Arau. With Caroline Aaron, Tony Abatemarco, Melinda Allen, Frankie J. Allison. When a mysterious fog surrounds the boundaries of California, there is a communication breakdown and all the Mexicans disappear, affecting the economy and the state stops working missing the Mexican workers and dwellers.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2015 12:46 PM

2015-09-20T12:46:27-04:00

Generally, the only jobs with little-enough oversight for illegals to work are back-breaking, laborious jobs that most Americans are too lazy to do. They do pay taxes. They don't take entitlements because that requires verification of legal residency. On top of that, they keep prices low because they're paid less for their labor than they would be in a competitive market, and the money they spend further serves to drive the economy. If not, then you have ridiculous situations like in Alabama where the prison-industrial complex rents out convicts who won't see a penny of their labor, which seems less beneficial to the economy than just letting the illegals do it and spend what they don't pay out in tax.
As far as legal immigrants (such as myself and my family) go, they are generally less likely to pursue government assistance than people born here. When my dad tore his meniscus on the job in January 2014, he refused to take workers' comp because he didn't want to be seen as a lazy immigrant, and he worked on it until last month.

Response by LT Michaline Schalton made May 25 at 2016 12:06 PM

2016-05-25T12:06:07-04:00

I think the effect is twofold: Yes, the illegals take jobs from citizens, but they also drive wages down. I hear a lot of people say they take jobs citizens won't do, but I disagree. I think they take jobs at a pay scale that citizens can't afford to take. They lowball wages in construction, landscaping, farming, housekeeping, fast food, and many other low skill jobs. Because they will work for low or below minimum wage, the wages for these jobs remains artificially low. The effect on the overall economy is that these workers' families often need social safety net programs such as food stamps, housing vouchers, Medicaid, etc. in order to live. They become a burden on the taxpayers.

Response by SPC Dawud Makonnen made May 25 at 2016 9:24 PM

2016-05-25T21:24:04-04:00

Both

Response by A1C Gerald Jessup made Jun 24 at 2018 10:59 PM

2018-06-24T22:59:32-04:00

My concern is that until businesses stop hiring illegals at cheap pay there will never be significantly wage increases