Re: The Big Lie Of "Skilled" Migrant Workers Saving Western Economies

Borax Man wrote:

["Followup-To:" header set to talk.politics.misc.]
On 2024-09-09, D  Ray <d@ray> wrote:

There are a great many tall tales circulating these days in association
with illegal immigration.  Possibly one of the most prevalent claims from
the political left is that western economies "need illegals" in order to
support the dragging economy and fill a hungry labor market. An extension
of this idea is that many of these migrants are "skilled workers" that the
west desperately needs for vital roles.
>
But how much do the US and Europe really need illegal immigrants in order
to keep western economies going?  And how many of them actually bring
important skills to western labor markets?  Would they be sunk without
these people?  Or, would they be much better off?
>
First and foremost it should be noted that in the US there is ample
evidence to show that the Biden Administration has been engaging in
statistical manipulation for the last four years, and this includes labor
statistics.  While there was indeed a clear shortage of workers in the
service sector during covid lockdowns (and the helicopter money supplied by
covid stimulus and PPP loans), recent revisions to BLS numbers have cut at
least 819,000 jobs from the books that Biden originally took credit for.
In other words, those jobs never existed.
>
It was these same jobs numbers that were used by the Democrats to argue in
favor of open borders; asserting that without illegals this explosion in
labor demand would turn into a worker shortage crisis.  While specific job
sector stats (job categories) don't usually distinguish between legal and
illegal migrants, there is little evidence to indicate they fill an
important role in our society.
>
In America, migrants flood into the low-skill service sector and health
services sector.  In many cases this involves entry level nursing home care
and similar employment.  The other category in which they usually work is
construction.  They offer cheap labor for home building, but this has
certainly not translated to lower housing costs.
>
In the meantime, tens-of-millions illegal migrants drive up housing demand,
in turn driving up prices on new homes and rentals.  Migrants are given
access to government subsidies as long as they are under review for asylum
or refugee status, in many cases they are offered more access to government
aid than natural born citizens.  Both California and Oregon are currently
instituting housing loan programs available to immigrants only.
>
Census SIPP data from 2022 indicates that around 59% of non-citizen
households in the US use one or more welfare programs, compared to 39% of
US-born households.  The establishment media and Democrats will often try
to dilute welfare stats by citing legal migrant numbers instead of illegal
migrant numbers.
>
Around 47% of illegal migrants to the US never completed high school (as
opposed to 8% of US-born citizens).
>
It is estimated that illegals cost US taxpayers at least $150 billion in
public services (officially) each year while paying only $25 billion in
taxes.  While some economists cite a potential $324 billion in GDP gain
from migrant workers, this almost all comes from wages which illegals send
to their families outside the US.
>
In the UK, migrant data is rarely tracked by the government, ostensibly
because they want to keep the indigenous public in the dark as much as
possible.  However it is clear that, just like in the US, migrants
(specifically from third-world nations) do not bring skilled labor to the
table.  UK migrants overwhelmingly work in the service and health sectors,
once again in low-level nursing jobs, elderly facilities, some work in tech
and the rest do not work at all.
>
The UK estimates that at least 1.7 million migrants are unemployed while on
the dole, and they are costing taxpayers upwards of £8.5 Billion ($11
billion) annually.
>
In Germany, welfare costs skyrocketed in 2024 and reports show 47% of
recipients for government handouts are migrants.  The total cost of $49
billion is 14.8 percent higher than in 2023, 18.4 percent higher compared
to 2020, and 23 percent higher compared to 2015.   In the EU migrants from
Africa and Asia are once again greatly overrepresented in health services.
>
The point is, the notion of "skilled migrant workers" saving western
economies with their vital labors is a complete fabrication.  Illegal
migrants in particular are a net negative and a dangerous strain on the
welfare system.  They also drive up housing costs by creating mass demand
with not enough supply, and this same demand drives up inflation in almost
every other area of the economy.  The roles they do fill can be easily
adapted without them by offering minor subsidies or tax benefits for
American citizens.
>
Like most countries in the world today, the US and European nations should
be vetting migrants and only accepting those that bring value to the table
along with a willingness to assimilate.  Otherwise, they serve no useful
purpose.
>
<https://www.zerohedge.com/political/big-lie-skilled-migrant-workers-saving-western-economies>
>
<https://web.archive.org/web/20240904015928/https://www.zerohedge.com/political/big-lie-skilled-migrant-workers-saving-western-economies>

 I'm skeptical of the benefits of legal immigration, let alone illegal
immigration.  The fact is, that successive generations are now not able
to achieve what previous generations could, in terms of major life
goals.  Establishing a family, buying a house, etc.  Its hard to see the
'benefit' of immigration, when you, despite having a better position and
more education than you parents, couldn't possible afford to buy the
kind of home they could.
 As far as I'm concerned, its done and dusted, mass immigration has been
a failure, a detriment.
 

It doesn't help when the first thing a president does after taking office is tell minorities and immigrants that they live in a country that is "Systemically Racist."  Such comments discourage effort and encourage dependence on hand-outs.