Immigration in Human Resources In today’s world, the economy is weak and we are facing a shortage of work and qualified workers. There is much debate over whether or not that statement is completely true. Some people say there is a shortage of work, due to immigrants taking over American jobs, while others say there aren’t enough qualified Americans to fill the open positions. In this paper, I will discuss both views on the topic and provide information from both point-of views to provide my answer to the question: Is the hiring of foreign workers good for business and fair to citizens?
Some Say It Is
Based on a study from the San Francisco Federal Reserve, an article in The Huffington Post states that immigration increases wages, employment, and productivity. States that have had a large influx of immigrants tended to produce more, hire more, and pay workers more than states that have few new foreign-born workers. For every one percent increase in employment from immigration, a state will see a .4 to .5 percent increase in income per worker. (Hindman)
Based on the letter The Effect of Immigrants on U.S. Employment and Productivity (Peri), there is no evidence that immigrant workers take jobs at the expense of citizens. The letter reviews the analysis of how foreign workers affect productivity, income, and employment over a period of time. The study conducted indicates foreign workers may actually increase the job opportunities rather than displacing American workers, based on a number of economic variables.
As stated in the economic letter, “The long-run increase in income per worker associated with immigrants is mainly due to increases in the efficiency and productivity of state economies. This effect becomes apparent in the medium to long run. Such a gradual response of productivity is accompanied by a gradual response of capital intensity. While in the