America Needs More Immigrants – of All Kinds

 

Openness to immigration has helped make America great. And it’s hard to see how less immigration helps keep America great or confront major national challenges. For instance, Baby Boomer aging and retirement mean the US economy is “entering an era in which it will need far more workers than the US-born population can provide” to both “replace them and care for them,” according to AEI scholars Pia Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny in a recent analysis. There is a strong case that we are going to need more low-skilled workers as the economy creates millions more low-skilled jobs. Yet as the chart shows, there’s a long-term and ongoing decline in the number of native workers of the sort that might fill those jobs:

And, of course, more lower-skill immigration is the harder part of the pro-immigration case to make. Changing policy to attract more high-skill immigrants shouldn’t take a whole lot of persuading. This from my recent Q&A podcast with Harvard Business School Professor William Kerr, who explains why global talent has been so important and how the US might continue to compete for these talented few in his new book, The Gift of Global Talent: How Migration Shapes Business, Economy, and Society:

It’s definitely the case that the mid-20th century and even up until perhaps like 15-20 years ago, the United States was in a truly unrivaled place in terms of attracting global talent. There have been a number of factors over the last couple of decades that have started to erode that advantage. Some countries have become much more economically developed during this period and that makes it more interesting for a migrant to possibly return home after they’ve done their studies. A number of economies are growing very rapidly and have very large markets and that makes it interesting for entrepreneurs to go back and start their businesses. Foreign universities have started to take root. And also some countries have been very aggressive in trying to provide a package or some incentives to bring talented people home.

So the United States still to this day remains the undisputed leader, I think, in attracting global talent, and the surveys and some of the Gallup polls that have been conducted often find a majority of people would migrate to the United States if given the opportunity to do so, among those that want to migrate. But we are starting to see much more competition for that talent. … I worry about the erosion or the loss of that special position. Take something like invention. In 1975 about one out of every twelve inventors in America was foreign-born, and today that number is about one of every three and a half. And this has been across many technology fields, but especially prominent in advanced technologies. That’s been something that has unlocked new forms of work, helped make companies more competitive in global markets, and helped enrich our lives. So I would deeply fear the loss of that special position and how its helped keep us on the dynamic innovative frontier.

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  1. Barry Jones Thatcher
    Barry Jones
    @BarryJones

    More LEGAL immigrants. No reason that people from south of the border should get priority on immigration over similar Europeans, Africans or Asians who are handicapped in jumping the border because they have to fly here rather than walk. Also, low skilled or not how about SOME English and the ability to read and write…don’t have to be college grads but some minimally demonstrated written skills. Makes for an easier transition to our society. for the most part, anyway.

    • #1
  2. Lash LaRoche Inactive
    Lash LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    America does not need any immigration whatsoever.

    • #2
  3. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Lash LaRoche (View Comment):

    America does not need any immigration whatsoever.

    We need more FICA slaves to fund Medicare and Social Security.

    Procreate for the state, Comrade!

    #PonziScheme 

    • #3
  4. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Why? Is the political class in danger of running out of cheap nannies and pool boys to exploit?

    • #4
  5. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    I heard that 70% of legal immigration is chain migration. That’s insane.

    • #5
  6. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    America needs to develop its own people and live within its means. It does not need to disadvantage or replace its own, especially not in the service of one narrow notion of exponential growth that happens to fit a globalist’s narrow interests.

    At this point, immigration should be limited to filling severe and immediate needs that are felt across broad sectors of our economy. I find it difficult to think of any such.

    • #6
  7. Petty Boozswha Inactive
    Petty Boozswha
    @PettyBoozswha

    Japan has done very well despite a severe allergy to immigration. Economists predict future economic activity on historical circumstances that do not exist anymore. Immigrants in the future, if not now, will cause far more burdens and costs than they contribute. At rock bottom minimum we need a moratorium to work off our backlog of applicants. The long term problem for labor economists will be how do we ergonomically structure meaningful work for the people living here now.

    • #7
  8. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    America needs to flood its labor market so that…? The cost of labor comes down? Aka “wages?”

    Yes, I’m commenting on the title of this post. I find the globalist imperative behind these sentiments not worth my time.

    • #8
  9. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Barfly (View Comment):
    America needs to develop its own people and live within its means.

    I’m not going to get into a big discussion about it, but but a more comprehensive libertarian economy would help. You could also let more people in and have fewer social problems, because people would have more agency.

    https://mises.org/wire/were-living-age-capital-consumption

    We’re Living in the Age of Capital Consumption | Ronald-Peter Stöferle https://mises.org/wire/were-living-age-capital-consumption#.XK5_0ghzyG8.twitter

    • #9
  10. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Petty Boozswha (View Comment):
    Japan has done very well despite a severe allergy to immigration.

    Their central bank owns half of the stock market, too. 

    • #10
  11. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    • #11
  12. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Actually, they personally can add more value here than in their old country, because their countries are run like crap. 

    • #12
  13. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Economists: AI is going to put a lot of people out of work. How are we going to keep the economy going and keep society peaceful? The world is changing and we have to look forward not to the past.

    Same people: Import more low skilled/unskilled workers! America has always done that!

    Me: Choose one.

    • #13
  14. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    You’d think the state of Europe would be a warning claxon to these people.

    • #14
  15. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Economists: AI is going to put a lot of people out of work. How are we going to keep the economy going and keep society peaceful? The world is changing and we have to look forward not to the past.

    Same people: Import more low skilled/unskilled workers! America has always done that!

    Me: Choose one.

    All of the Western Central banks have to start creating deflation. I am not kidding. Replacing people with capital increases purchasing power –this is deflation– prices for everything should go down anyway. That is simply progress. Better living through purchasing power, not government.

    Of course doing this would collapse the government and the financial system, so we will do this the hard way with a gigantic depression. LOL

     

    • #15
  16. Sweezle Inactive
    Sweezle
    @Sweezle

    I want our immigrants to be legal and I want our southern border to be controlled. We need to put people who are here legally first. 

    • #16
  17. Slow on the uptake Coolidge
    Slow on the uptake
    @Chuckles

    Barry Jones (View Comment):
    More LEGAL immigrants.

    Yes.  

    • #17
  18. Slow on the uptake Coolidge
    Slow on the uptake
    @Chuckles

    Isn’t the OP premise based on the idea that everything is going to continue as it is, or change is only going to come in predictable ways?  We need to talk to Malthus about that idea.

     

    • #18
  19. Steven Seward Member
    Steven Seward
    @StevenSeward

    I’n surprised at the naivete of Pethokoukis.  He thinks that our problem is a shortage of low-skilled workers?  What have we been hearing for years about the low-skill jobs leaving for China and other countries?  The trouble is that we have so many people on welfare that are not working.  They too, would have to be supported by Pethokoukis’ hopeful wave of immigrants.  Instead, the welfare people should be filling in all these gaps of low-skilled work, but we make it too easy for them to just sit at home and watch cable TV.

    The Pethokoukis solution is a band aid that doesn’t cure Welfare State and Nanny State problems.  Although I am not against legal immigration, America could do just fine without having to import any more workers if it doesn’t want to.

    • #19
  20. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    Japan is a high-functioning basket case.  It economy has been in the doldrums for decades, its young people are not marrying and having children, its population is shrinking (in case nobody has noticed), and aging very quickly.  They have taken to employing robots to serve the elderly infirm, as there are no workers to staff their multiplying nursing homes.  They are well-fed and educated, and very long-lived-more years to need care.

    The President of the United States has the statutory authority to approve or not approve ANY immigration.  He can close all our borders at any time, for any reason, and he should do it now, and defy the rogue judiciary that has been trying to tie his hands.

    • #20
  21. DonG Coolidge
    DonG
    @DonG

    RufusRJones (View Comment):
    All of the Western Central banks have to start creating deflation. I am not kidding. Replacing people with capital increases purchasing power –this is deflation– prices for everything should go down anyway. That is simply progress. Better living through purchasing power, not government.

    Deflation can come from people not having money to spend (bad) or from increased productivity (good).  Productivity most comes from people using more capital equipment.  I think you are saying that prosperity can be increased by decreasing efficiency.  That only works in the mind of AOC.

    • #21
  22. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    DonG (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):
    All of the Western Central banks have to start creating deflation. I am not kidding. Replacing people with capital increases purchasing power –this is deflation– prices for everything should go down anyway. That is simply progress. Better living through purchasing power, not government.

    Deflation can come from people not having money to spend (bad) or from increased productivity (good). Productivity most comes from people using more capital equipment. I think you are saying that prosperity can be increased by decreasing efficiency. That only works in the mind of AOC.

    All I’m saying is the artificial increase in prices caused by central banks is just going to make things worse from here on out.

    If trade and robots are good because they increase purchasing power, let it happen.  Almost all prices should be going down all of the time.

    I have utterly no idea what you mean by “decreasing efficiency”. Also, if you want to trade insults, I’m all for it.

    • #22
  23. Pony Convertible Inactive
    Pony Convertible
    @PonyConvertible

    With me, it is not about stopping immigration.  We have always welcomed immigrants.  I just expect them to come through the gate. 

    I also expect our laws to be enforced.  If the laws are bad, than Congress can change them, but they aren’t doing that.  They are simply saying don’t enforce the laws.  Its insane when the lawmakers are against enforcing the law. 

    • #23
  24. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    What kills me is, if you have a country that becomes notorious like we have in Minnesota, it is illegal to do a blanket slowdown of immigration from that country. 

    • #24
  25. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    This article is utter nonsense.  He is comparing the immigration when the country was empty, technology was basic and there was no government welfare, or much Federal government at all to what we have today.  We don’t know who we need, who we can accommodate, or who is “we”, nor how we are going to functionally absorb those who are coming in and who came in over the last 50 years.  I’m not sure how we accommodate needs as they appear through immigration, temporary workers but at  least we must secure our borders, those around us and those in every international airport and sea port, so that we can figure out what kind of immigration will keep the country dynamic, on top of the world economy and free and what kinds of internal legal accommodations we must make to Americanize those who are already here.  Half of the organized interests in this country don’t even agree that we should americanize or protect our freedoms.   Like I said, the article is utter nonsense.

    • #25
  26. JamesSalerno Inactive
    JamesSalerno
    @JamesSalerno

    James Pethokoukis:

    There is a strong case that we are going to need more low-skilled workers as the economy creates millions more low-skilled jobs. 

    I’m not worried about this at all. Today’s universities are doing nothing but pumping out low-skilled workers.

    • #26
  27. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    JamesSalerno (View Comment):

    James Pethokoukis:

    There is a strong case that we are going to need more low-skilled workers as the economy creates millions more low-skilled jobs.

    I’m not worried about this at all. Today’s universities are doing nothing but pumping out low-skilled workers.

    And it’s overpriced, too. Insane. 

    • #27
  28. RyanFalcone Member
    RyanFalcone
    @RyanFalcone

    What we need is more automation not more immigrants. We also need higher wages for low-skilled jobs to pull people off the welfare rolls and back to work. We need fewer students who don’t have college chops going into mediocre majors at mediocre schools to get mediocre educations that falsely take them out of the low-skilled cohort that they belong to so they can work their way into a real skill set instead of accruing tens of thousands in debt to pretend they have a fake skill set. 

    If after all this we do in fact need immigrants, it needs to be completely different from the crap show it is now but I reject the premise of the OP.

    • #28
  29. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    RyanFalcone (View Comment):
    We also need higher wages for low-skilled jobs to pull people off the welfare rolls and back to work.

    This is one hell of a topic. It’s like an effective 70% tax rate to do this. Something like that. 

    • #29
  30. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Isn’t it informative to read theses solutions coming from the type of people who:

    A. Seem to have no issue with our failing government school system 

    B. Support a system that culturally disparages blue collar jobs. Every kid ( especially their kids) have to go to college

    C. Depend on outdated presumptions to predict the future. AI and robotics will soon be taking care of “low skilled” jobs.

    Necessity is the mother of invention and we have the technology already to have every low-skilled job automized, including agricultural tasks. But giant corporations are trying to make it to the next quarterly stockholders meeting and would just as soon import more peasants and serfs than invest in capital intensive automation. Of course this will occur eventually anyway and America will be stuck with more unemployed peasants who don’t speak English, don’t understand our Constitution and anti- tribalism desires, voting in blocks for their own cultural agendas.

     

    • #30
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