The fact that particular social groups disapprove of the flows of immigrants coming to their country is undoubted. The major argument of anti-immigration appeals resides in the assumption that newcomers deprive the locals of the workplaces and have a negative impact on the level of wages in the job market. The question, consequently, arises whether such presumptions are justified or should be referred to the ungrounded prejudices.
On the one hand, it is hard to deny the fact that immigrants influence the economic environment of the country they try to integrate into. Thus, statistic shows that the level of wages in the unskilled labor field has decreased in the USA due to the immigration factor. The new coming residents agree to work for fewer amounts than the locals, thereby entire sectors of employment such as farming, crafting and repairing are, to a large extent, occupied by foreigners. Employers eagerly hire immigrants because of the cost-effective advantage of the latter. From this perspective, the complaints of the native inhabitants seem to be reasonable.
Another matter of concern is the negative fiscal impact that immigrants are considered to have on the local residents. According to the specialists’ research, the fiscal burden per native might vary from $166 to $266 in the states that show a high density of immigrants’ population. As a result, one might presume that immigration has a negative influence on the American economy both on the state and the federal levels.
In the meantime, one has reasons to assume that the extent of the impact that immigration has on the US economy is exaggerated. First, and foremost, it is essential to note that the local economy is too large and developed to suffer any significant harm from the immigrants’ stream.
Furthermore, one should consider the fact that immigrants’ influence is likely to be experienced by the locals only in those regions the population of which is mainly comprised of foreigners. Hence, whereas the residents of such cities as New York and Los Angeles might have some grounds for concern, the inhabitants of the majority of the US states are less susceptible to the immigration impact.
As to the unauthorized immigrants that enter the country, this group of newcomers is unlikely to increase the level of competitiveness in the job market. Reliable employers unwillingly take the risk of hiring an illegal worker. Furthermore, the immigration policy tends to show efficient performance preventing illegal flows from entering the country.
Finally, one needs to note that the decrease in wages prompted by immigration refers only to particular sectors. Hence, the earnings of high-quality professionals, on the contrary to those of unskilled workers, are said to be gradually growing. Therefore, the fears of local residents that have a degree seem to be ungrounded.
As a result, one might draw a conclusion that the negative character of the public attitude towards immigrants is unjustified. Whereas one might certainly point out several points of the unfavorable impact that immigrants have, on the whole, their general influence on the local economy seems to be overestimated. Thus, most of the arguments, that the opponents of immigration suggest, might be referred to as social prejudices rather than to the objective reality. However, it is necessary to admit that particular states in the USA might, indeed, experience the negative outcomes of the uncontrolled influxes of foreigners.