Transcript Migration to The United States

By
Sherry Guan
Jiaqi Ju
Econ 490-01
 General background
 Countries comparison
 Age Distribution
 Public opinion
 Economists’ opinion
 Economic benefits
 Negative concerns
 Sources of Immigration: majority of the
immigrants from Europe, but now, large
percentage of immigrants from Asia, central
America
 Causes of immigration:
 Difference in real wages
 Growth rate of population
 Degree of industrialization and urbanization
 The volume of previous immigrants from the
same area
 Economic and political conditions in U.S
Asia n Countries
Central America
 Concentrated in California, New
 Heavily concentrated in
York , Hawaii and Massachusetts
 About three of every five
Immigrants in 2008 were limited
English proficient
 Less likely to participate in the
civilian labor force



 About half of adults had a
bachelor’s degree or higher

 Worked in management , business,
finance, sciences , engineering and
IT
 Similar poverty level as U.S natives

California, Texas, and Florida
One in five immigrants resided
in Los Angles Metropolitan
Area
2/3 of immigrants in 2009 were
limited English proficient
Participate in the civilian labor
force
Worked in construction,
extraction, and repair services
1/5 immigrants lived in poverty
Age Distribution

Unemployment Rate
 Positive attitude toward groups that have been visible




for a century or more
Negative attitude toward recent arrivals
After Sept. 11, 55% of American favored decreasing
legal immigration
In 2006, 68% of Americans think U.S. immigration
levels are too high
Increase the level of unemployment
 (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org)
 Senior economist at Santa Monica-based RAND
Corporation, and lead author of the United States
National Research Councils
 “Immigrants contribute as much as $ 10 billion to
the U.S. economy each year.”
Immigrants, including illegal immigrants,
are benefited to the U.S. economy
 Positive for the U.S. economy
 Net economic gain due to an increase in pay for
higher-skilled workers, lower prices for goods and
services
 More efficiency and lower wages for some owners
of capital
 Specialize in activities
 Immigrant workers are not taking jobs form
domestic workers
 Immigrants mostly do jobs American do not want
Dr. Papademetriou
 President of the Migration Policy Institute
 Contribution to GDP, both legal and
illegal immigrants
 Expand the size of labor market
 Expand the size of markets for various
goods which lead to lower ATC
 Increase the average standard of living by
increase spending
 Taxes benefit
 Negative attitude on illegal immigrants
 Security concern
 Increase crime
 Increase terrorism threats
 Encouraging the culture of illegality
 Remittances, both illegal and legal immigrants
 A study by the national dairy industry
confirmed the essential role of immigrant labor
in that sector. A loss of just 50 % of immigrant
dairy workers would lower dairy farm sales by
$6.7 billion and reduce total economic output
by $11.2 billion.
Illegal Immigrants
 Costs and Benefits