All U.S. Employment Growth in Last Decade Went to Immigrants

Foreign-born employment up 5.3 million since 2000,
US-born down 1.3 million

 A Center for Immigration Studies analysis of government data shows that from the first quarter of 2000 to the first quarter of 2013 the number of native-born Americans holding a job fell by 1.3 million, even though the overall size of the working-age (16 to 65) native population increased by 16.4 million. Over the same time period, the number of immigrants (legal and illegal) working increased 5.3 million. There has also been a broad decline in the percentage of natives holding a job, impacting almost every age, education level, and race.

The main justification for the large increases in permanent immigration and guest workers in the Schumer-Rubio bill (S.744) is that the nation does not have enough workers. But in the first quarter of this year nearly 59 million working-age natives were not working - unemployed or entirely out of the labor force. This figure is little changed in the last three years and is almost 18 million larger than in 2000.

"Given the employment situation, the dramatic increases in legal immigration in the Gang of Eight immigration bill seems grossly out of touch with the realities of the U.S. labor market," observed Steven Camarota, the report's co-author and the Center's Director of Research.

Among the report's findings (all figures compare first quarter employment): http://www.cis.org/immigrant-gains-native-losses-in-the-job-market-2000-to-2013

 *  The overall size of the working-age (16 to 65) native-born population increased by 16.4 million from 2000 to 2013, yet the number of natives actually holding a job was 1.3 million lower in 2013 than 2000.

 *  The total number of working-age immigrants (legal and illegal) increased 8.8 million, and the number working rose 5.3 million between 2000 and 2013.

 *  Since the jobs recovery began in 2010, about half the employment growth has gone to immigrants. However the share of working-age (16 to 65) natives holding a job has remained virtually unchanged and as has the number not working - nearly 59 million.

 *  The decline in the share of natives working, also referred as the employment rate, began before the 2007 recession. In 2000 74 percent of working-age natives had a job, by 2007 at the peak of the last expansion just 71 percent worked, and in the first quarter of 2013 66 percent had a job.

 *  The decline in employment rates for working-age natives has been nearly universal. The share of native teenagers as well as those in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s declined from 2000 to 2007 and from 2007 to 2013. The decline for those under 30 has been especially pronounced.

 *  The employment rate declined for natives of virtually every education level from 2000 to 2007 and from 2007 to 2013.

 *  The number of adult natives with no more than a high school education not working is up 4.9 million since 2000, it is up 6.8 million for those with some college and up 3.8 million for those with at least a bachelor's degree.

 *  The decline in work, which began before 2007, has impacted men and women; as well as blacks, Hispanics and whites. Native-born men, blacks, and Hispanics have been hit the hardest.

 *  During the five years prior to 2013 (2008-2012), about 5.4 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) of all ages arrived in the United States. In the 5 years prior to 2007, about 6.6 million new immigrants arrived. Thus during the worst economic slowdown in the last 75 years, immigration fell by only 17 percent compared to the expansion of 2002-2006.

View the Senate bill, CIS Senate testimony and commentary at: http://cis.org/Border-Security-Economic-Opportunity-Immigration-Modernization-Act

The above is a press release from from Center for Immigration Studies. 1522 K St. NW, Suite 820,  Washington, DC 20005, (202) 466-8185 fax: (202) 466-8076.  Email: center@cis.org. Contact: Marguerite Telford, 202-466-8185, mrt@cis.org.  The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent research institution which examines the impact of immigration on the United States.  The Center for Immigration Studies is not affiliated with any other organization





Australia: Refugee claims reopen as Labor Party admits mistakes

IMMIGRATION officials have begun assessing asylum-seekers' refugee claims for the first time since processing was suspended almost 12 months ago, a move that created a backlog of more than 22,000 cases.

As Kevin Rudd prepared to fly to Jakarta today for talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that will cover trade and asylum-seekers, Immigration Minister Tony Burke yesterday admitted Labor had been too slow to act on people-smuggling as it took hold in 2009, and distanced the government from Julia Gillard's Malaysia Solution.

In an interview with The Australian yesterday, Mr Burke said asylum-seeker processing resumed on Monday and he flagged changes to the no-advantage test, a cornerstone of Labor's policy that requires boat arrivals to wait for at least as long as those seeking refugee status through official UN channels.

The Prime Minister last night joined his new Immigration Minister in admitting his government got things wrong in 2009 when it failed to stop the burgeoning people-smuggling trade.

Mr Rudd said Labor's softening of the Howard-era policies a year earlier, which most agree spurred the revival of the smuggling trade, was consistent with an election promise Labor made in opposition.

But that promise had been offered at a time when the international refugee situation was more benign.

"If we've made a mistake, let me just say this, it was in perhaps not being quick enough to respond to the new change in external circumstances, with an outflow from Sri Lanka from a civil war in 2009-10," Mr Rudd told the ABC's 7.30.

Mr Burke was more blunt, saying Labor "didn't get the policy right" in 2009. "At that point, we needed to change our policy settings to match and anticipate the changed international situation and we didn't," he said. "And that is where I believe the error was made."

Mr Burke played down suggestions the Malaysian people swap agreement, which was negotiated during Ms Gillard's prime ministership, might play a role in Labor's future asylum policy.

"Malaysia, for when it was announced, would have worked for the problem that we had in front of us then," Mr Burke said.

"The problem that we have as a result of it being blocked by the Liberal Party teaming up with the Greens, we have a situation now where the problem is much worse."

Mr Burke warned the opposition was making the same mistake Labor had made in 2009 by assuming that policies of the past were suited to the problems of the present. "The suggestion from Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison that you can simply photocopy the 2001 policy setting and they'll work for the modern world is just plain wrong and absurd," he said.

The remarks by the Prime Minister and the Immigration Minister are clear signs Labor is looking to fight back on the asylum-seeker issue, which has dragged down Labor's vote across the country, particularly in western Sydney, where Mr Burke holds his seat.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa last night made clear the Yudhoyono administration would not accept proposals for any Indonesia-focused "solution" to Australia's asylum-seekers problem at tomorrow's summit with Mr Rudd.

Mr Natalegawa underlined Jakarta's rejection of suggestions surfacing in Canberra this week that Mr Rudd might pursue options such as an Indonesian processing centre for asylum-seekers.

"Historically, various options have been put forward by Australia," he said after a briefing with President Yudhoyono on the agenda for the Bogor summit.

"There is the so-called Pacific Solution, Malaysia Solution, Timor Leste Solution and so on, but we are consistent that resolution of this problem cannot be carried by one country."

Indonesia would continue to press for an integrated approach to irregular immigration that engaged all countries: origin, transit and destination.

As part of Labor's renewed push on the issue, Mr Rudd yesterday wrote to Mr Abbott offering the Opposition Leader a series of high-level, confidential briefings with intelligence agencies on the subject of people-smuggling.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has been leading the charge on behalf of the government, saying asylum-seeker boats are increasingly stocked with economic migrants rorting the refugee system.

Critics have said the government's claims are speculative as it cannot claim any real insight into who is arriving or why, as claims have not been processed.

Mr Burke said as Immigration Minister he was the ultimate decision-maker in refugee applications, meaning he was constrained in what he could say on the subject. But he had "absolutely no doubt" some were trying to game the system.

"The points that (Bob Carr) has raised match what's been said to me during briefings in terms of some of the key examples of people attempting to rort the system," Mr Burke said.

He flagged changes to the no-advantage test, saying he expected to offer a clearer definition of the principles behind it.

The test has been criticised as too vague, with critics pointing out that wait-times for Australian permanent residency visas vary from region to region, making its practical application difficult.

SOURCE