As long as immigration implies numerous factors, it is rather problematic to assess the correlation between the negative and the positive consequences of this process. On the face of it, the principal benefit, which an unskilled immigrant is likely to receive in the USA, is the level of wages set for different types of basic labour. Whereas the locals might consider this amount to be insufficient, statistic shows that an average immigrant finds the level of payment satisfying in comparison to the conditions he or she is offered in the home country.
In the meantime, it is necessary to note that the range of job opportunities is rather limited for unskilled immigrants. The principal occupation fields, within which one is supposed to choose, are farming, foresting, crafting, repairing, to name but a few. Thus, the lack of a degree initially deprives an unskilled immigrant of any prospects for potential career advancement. Therefore, the level of wages, which an immigrant can receive for the manual labour, is likely to remain relatively the same throughout the entire career way that he or she decides to take. Moreover, analysts point out the current tendency for a considerable decrease in the wages in the basic labour sector. Therefore, the principal economic benefit that unskilled immigrants receive is gradually losing its value.
The key problem with unskilled immigrants’ occupation is that the labor they provide does not require professional experience, which means the worker who performs it can easily be replaced. As a result, apart from the limited choice in the occupation field, an unskilled immigrant is likewise, apt to face the environment of instability and regular employees’ turnover. As far as many immigrants come from African and Asian countries they are more susceptible to the social prejudice and racial discrimination. Thus, an unskilled employee can potentially receive a refusal from an employer or get unexpectedly fired due to his or her skin color. From the economic perspective, the lack of sustainability in the work sphere is critical for immigrants who, as a rule, cannot afford to buy their own apartments but are obliged to pay monthly rents. Therefore, losing a job for an immigrant essentially alludes with homelessness.
Another critical factor that determines the character of prospects for an unskilled immigrant is the authorized or unauthorized status. Legal immigrants are initially in a more favorable position than ineligible foreigners as the status provides them with a certain level of economic security. Hence, they are ensured that the working conditions their employer offers will not be altered unilaterally. However, the reality is that a large percentage of immigrants is unauthorized, which means that their economic sustainability is twice ambiguous due to the fact that they cannot address legal institutions for protection.
One should essentially note that the arguments provided above mainly refer to the new immigrants that are willing to start their lives from scratch in the USA. The relevant clarification is significant as the conditions for the second and further generations of immigrants differ considerably from those that the new-comers have.
As a result, one might conclude that the socioeconomic environment within which unskilled immigrants have to live seems to be rather unfavorable. Meanwhile, the large numbers of people arriving in the USA every year show that the economic conditions in the immigrants’ home countries are significantly worse.