Do you believe illegals have an impact on employment of blue collar workers in the United States?

Stephen G

I'm a Union carpenter in NYC for over 30 years. And Yes the illegal aliens are taking our jobs. By paying lower wages and working in unsafe conditions it affects everyone.

Whether you are a Union member or not, they were plenty of men and women who fought for the rights and wages WE EARN today. Why should and illegal alien be given the rights without earning them?

The only it does is drive down the wages and benefits for all. And increase the profits for the investors and owners who could care less.

Due to the liberal politicians, we must accommodate these illegals who have come her in search for a better life and I respect them for doing so. But the least they could do is attempt to assimilate into our society and learn the language.

On the last 2 projects I have been on they show a Safety video in 3 different languages. What ? Why ? If something happens on the job, how am I to communicate with the individuals ?

Good Luck

American Man

Yes, and they have a negative impact on many areas of the US economy!

B__O__M__B__S__H__E__L__L

Dollars and sense: Economy, native workers benefit from immigrant work per Tony out in Calif , now the real picture 2 years fast forward-The number of long-term unemployed in California has more than doubled in the last year and now make up nearly 25% of all people without jobs, reports the state Employment Development Department.

In March 2008, 168,000 Californians had been out of a job 27 weeks or more â€” the point where regular unemployment insurance typically runs out. Last month the number of long-term jobless jumped to 371,000.

The largest group of unemployed in the state is those who have been without jobs five to 14 weeks â€” 454,000 in March compared to 326,000 a year ago.

Unemployment statewide surged to 11.2% in March, a modern-day record, as the total number of jobless topped 2 million.

Congress has approved three extensions of unemployment insurance in states like California with high unemployment rates. California has the fourth highest rate in the country after Michigan, Oregon and South Carolina.

The jobless in California are now eligible for up to 79 weeks of unemployment insurance.

So how is all that much needed cheap labor working out in Calif ?

ibu guru

This is not a matter of opinion. This is a matter of fact that has been proven over & over again. Illegal aliens do take jobs that US citizens have traditionally done, are thoroughly capable of doing, and want to do.

Lawnmowing, fast food, restaurant work, etc -- these are all "typical teenager" jobs kids need to do to get experience, college funds, references for future jobs.

Meat processing: these jobs were always held by less-educated people and by farmers needing off-season work. They also lead to jobs as USDA inspectors, butchers, and more.

Construction: again, jobs for people with HS education. The trades have always been decent blue-collar jobs with training available, and they can lead to better jobs in later life (insurance adjusters, building inspectors, estimators, contractors, real estate agents, etc).

There are over 19 million US-born citizens with less than a HS education. They need to get out there and work, not have their jobs taken by lawbreakers.

catmaninmo II

Yes definitely.... the truth hurts and facts are facts. Who cares what illegals or their lovers think! I love their lame, uneducated responses too! Come to my area, we'll leave the lights on for ya!

Joe C

I did not do enough research but from what I read, big and small business slowly replaced US Citizens who have worked in traditional unskilled and semi-skilled jobs with illegal immigrants starting 60 years ago because they are cheaper. That is the bottom line â€“ short term profit at the expense of producing long term social and economic problems.

The answer is yes but the illegal immigrants would not be here if it were not for big and small business.

Also, ibu guru is correct in what he says. A lot of these jobs were filled in by US Citizens and are now mostly filled in by illegal immigrants.

Judy B

people will change jobs, if they can not get work in their field. starting at a lower pay rate as this economy hits the skids. I have applied for retail sales, stocking shelves, any job that will pay the bills. I am not hired because of my resume. When jobs are hard to find people adjust their requirements. From High heels to sneakers. been there and done that. still looking. bed pans are not my thing but if i could get that job I (like a lot of other Americans) would pull on the gloves and get the job done. Send all The illegals back, with an inplanted chip, and close our borders, and America take care of Americans.

Joel W

Yes they do, and the Pew Hispanic Institute thinks that is the case also.

ICE 'em

they have a negative impact on every U.S. tax paying citizens whether the citizen is aware of it or not.

Bebe

Every Well Off country has illegal immigrants that come form less well off countries. There is nothing you can do to stop it. But it really doesn't bother me because if you were from a horrible place you might do the same thing. I know I would and I feel bad for them. They get paid wayyy less to do a better job then most american citizens do. Besides you cant blame the immigrant, you gotta blame the US employer that hires them. And I dont even want to hear crap about immigrants taking jobs when foreigners are taking jobs from us too, only theyre not living here. When jobs ship companies overseas it is the same as giving it to an immigrant. The pay less for what they want and the US citizens loose jobs. I worked in the apparel industry and my company sent my job to China. In fact my whole neighborhood in west kensington part of Philadelphia used to have tons of factories that all closed at the turn of the century and it quickly turned into a Ghetto. So a construction worker cant complain anymore than a seamstress in my opinion.

Also if your not native american then your ancestors were all immigrants so have some sympothy

The Real American Man

I agree with the cowboy guy! illegal immigrants bust their butts, and hardly ever take breaks. Real determination these immigrants have.

and quit lying to yourself behind your computer. You know those jobs are not the jobs we want! so let them do them.

IMA COWBOY

Yes, they make them look lazy because they work so darn stinkin hard.

Spitfire

They aren't taking jobs that anyone really does anyways.
Look at this country.
White people are lazy. Period.
Black people are lazy and on welfare.
I'm only generalizing because your generalizing.

Illegal people come over here and work hard to support this country, and if you weren't so ignorant, you would see that the effect it has on this country is actually a positive one. They don't "take" jobs from anyone else.
The majority of them end up paying taxes as well, so I don't need to hear the whole ignorant "they don't pay taxes" spew.

Luchador

They are taking our jobs! The ones we don't want. And they are doing a pretty good job doing it to. Have you seen the landscape in my city lately? wow!

Made in the USA

I believe it 100%. I have yet to see a group of white guys picking crops, or scrubbing toilets.

GreasyTony

Not only do the illegal immigrant workers benefit the US workers, but the economy to! and yes! I agree that they are doing the jobs we do not want. Yes they work in construction, but they are the ones used to clean up the mess left behind. Yes! they work at Hotels, but they are the ones that clean up the toilets you gladly poop in. Yes! they work in factories, but again, they are the ones cleaning up after everybody and cleaning the toilet there to!

http://media.wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2007/04/10/Opinions/Dollars.And.Sense.Economy.Native.Workers.Benefit.From.Immigrant.Work-2831841.shtml
Dollars and sense: Economy, native workers benefit from immigrant work

In late February, Dr. Giovanni Peri, a University of California, Davis, economist, published a report that cuts against the typical immigration grain. By analyzing census data in California (home to 30 percent of foreign-born workers in the U.S.), Peri concluded that immigrants actually boost the wages of native workers.

Essentially, Peri found that immigrants complement (rather than replace) native workers. Because most immigrants in California are unskilled laborers without a high school diploma, they end up filling in the gaps in California's labor market, where most native workers have more than a high school diploma but less than a doctorate degree.

"In nontechnical terms," Dr. Peri writes, "the increased supply of migrants is likely to put native workers in jobs where they perform supervisory, managerial, training, and in general interactive and coordinating tasks." Thus, with native workers supervising immigrants, Peri estimates that native workers actually experience an average wage boost of 4 percent.

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