Immigration Reform and the American Worker

Misunderstandings and myths do not produce good policy. Many Americans oppose immigration reform because they’re convinced that more immigrants eliminate jobs and hurt the US economy, especially during the recession. Instead, “a host of studies have found that immigration has actually boosted wages for native-born American workers as a whole, and that while immigration has had a negative impact on the wages of one group – men without a high-school education – that impact has been surprisingly small,” writes James Surowiecki for the New Yorker. Opening the economy to more highly skilled workers actually boosts the economy, as many of the newcomers innovate, start new companies and create jobs. And the low-skilled foreign workers are often concentrated in areas of work not pursued by many Americans. Research studies show that immigration generally lifts the relative wages of Americans at all education levels. Surowiecki describes comprehension immigration reform “as close to a win-win policy as you’re going to find in politics.” – YaleGlobal