Economic Consequences of Immigration in the United States
In contrast to those who see immigrants as a benefit for the United States Economy, there are those who feel immigrants affect the economy more negatively then positively. There are those who believe that immigration contributes to an already-existing surplus of low-skilled workers, increasing job competition and driving down wages and conditions for American workers. The presence of a large illegal workforce has created a cycle in which work conditions are stressed and discourages Americans from seeking these jobs and make employers more dependent on an illegal foreign workforce. On top of that America's massive low-skill labor force and illegal alien population allow employers to offer low pay and unsafe conditions. According to reports in the the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, the U.S. has a responsibility to protect the economic interests of all of its citizens, yet the immigration system, which adds hundreds of thousands to the labor force each year, is bringing in workers faster than jobs are being created.
Recent trends in the labor market show that, although natives account for the majority of population growth, most of the net gain in employment has gone to immigrants. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, in the first quarter of 2013, the number of working-age natives (16 to 65) working was 1.3 million fewer than in the first quarter of 2000, while the number of immigrants working was 5.3 million greater over the same period. Therefore, all of the employment growth over the last 13 years went to immigrants even though the native-born accounted for two-thirds of the growth in the working age population. The last 13 years have seen very weak employment growth, whether measured by the establishment survey or the household survey. Over the same time period 16 million new immigrants arrived from abroad. In essence this means that people with this view can easily argue that Immigrants displace natives when they come to the United States.