Help Wanted as Immigration Faces Overhaul

Some landscapers, restaurants and amusement parks insist that affluent Americans no longer want to do certain types of jobs, tedious seasonal work that was once the province of high school and college students – despite increasing wages for low-skilled work and finder fees. Employers run ads to find low-skilled help, but to no avail. So the business owners resort to hiring seasonal guest workers, 10 months at a time, as allowed by federal law. Politicians and pundits debate whether higher wages still would make the manicure, dishwashing and janitorial jobs more attractive for US citizens: Some employers claim that consumers balk at paying higher prices for such services, while others argue that some business owners still charge high fees and merely pocket the profits. With 12 million immigrants in the country illegally, ample counterfeiting of documents, and ongoing anxiety about potential terrorism, almost everyone agrees the US immigration system needs an overhaul. The House of Representatives wants to allow the guest-worker problem to lapse, while the Senate would expand the program. Both programs would penalize employers for hiring illegal workers. The construction, home-improvement and tourism industries are relying on increasing numbers of foreign help, with many employers pointing out that the migrants, legal or not, are motivated and ready to compete. – YaleGlobal