Immigrant Influx Harms Young Workers

Employment Declines as Immigrants Arrive

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WASHINGTON (September 2006) — A new study authored by economists at Northeastern University and published by the Center for Immigration Studies finds that the arrival of new immigrants (legal and illegal) in a state is accompanied by a decline in employment among young native-born workers in that state. This indicates that immigration is displacing young native-born workers in the labor market. Although one recent report by another Washington think tank found no relationship between immigration and the troubling recent decline in the employment of the native-born, that study did not focus on young workers, who are often in direct competition with immigrants and are the ones most adversely affected.

These findings are particularly troubling because a person’s early work experience – or lack thereof – has a significant impact on their performance in the labor market later in life. It is when young that people learn the skills necessary to successful employment, such as punctuality and taking direction from supervisors.

The report, entitled, The Impact of New Immigrants on Young Native-Born Workers, 2000-2005, is embargoed until Thursday, September 21, 2006 at 9:30 am. Advance copies are available to the media. The study will be available online at www.cis.org .

For more information, contact Andrew Sum at (617) 373-2242, Paul Harrington at (617) 373-2243, or Steven Camarota at (202) 466-8185 or sac@cis.org .
  

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The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent research institute
which examines the impact of immigration on the United States.