There is a common misconception in American society today that immigrants are stealing jobs from U.S. born workers. These negative sentiments toward immigrants have only been heightened recently as the country has experienced an economic downturn and the steady rise of unemployment rates. However, a new study has been published that examines the relationship between unemployment rates and immigration, and concludes that the two are virtually unrelated.
The study examines several factors before making its findings. The primary method used by the study is determining what the immigration levels are in areas of high unemployment, and what the unemployment rates are in areas with high levels of immigration. Many would suspect that areas with high unemployment rates would be flooded with immigrants. However, the study revealed that unemployment rates were virtually the same when comparing areas with high amounts of immigration to areas with low amounts of immigration. Similarly, the study showed that areas that were experiencing high unemployment rates, namely rural and industrial urban communities, had low levels of immigrants within their population.
I believe that a study like the one described above is very important. Vocal opponents of immigration reform often cite a general fear that immigrants will come to the U.S. and steal jobs from American citizens. However, the individuals making this argument often have little in the way of evidence to support claims that immigrants are putting American citizens out of work. I am not surprised that when a study was actually conducted, the results revealed little to no connection between immigration and unemployment.
For more information, I recommend reading the study that I provided a link to above. For general immigration information, please visit our website.
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