The Hard Truth About Lost Jobs: It's Not About Immigration
Coauthored by Chris Shipley
Few topics spike the ire of American voters like jobs, immigration, and trade, no doubt because the three are inexorably tied together, at least in the rhetoric of politicians who point to immigration and trade as the villains of the American jobs story.
This narrative was clearly in evidence during the presidential campaign, as candidates in nearly every race made admirable pledges to “bring back jobs” through any number of means: reducing immigration by building a wall on our “southern border”, tearing up trade deals, punishing companies that relocate jobs outside of the US, and/or rounding up and deporting undocumented workers. That political rhetoric has spilled into the post-election zeitgeist in the comment sections of online media, like our Immigration, We Simply Cannot Afford This post that examined the economic contribution of legal immigration over the last half century. The comments section was a river of outrage over illegal immigration and trade, even though neither topic was the focus of the piece. Still, the post hit a cord and has reached over 500,000 views.
It’s no wonder. Jobs -- the lack of them, generally, and the lack of good-paying ones, particularly -- is a hot button for many Americans who are suffering from stagnant wages or worse, up-ended careers. While immigrants and trade may be convenient whipping boys (why else would politicians lite on them so readily?), the preponderance of evidence suggests that it is automation, not immigration, that is eating American jobs.