Economic Benefits Of Deferred Action For Immigrants

By Allyson Burke


On 15th June 2012, US president Barack Obama announced the policy of deferred action. The policy would stop his administration from deporting undocumented youth and then making them entitled to work authorization. It allows the youth who arrived to the US prior to their 16th birthday to have their deportation suspended and then apply for employment authorization. The policy makes economic sense while also fulfilling humanitarian efforts of allowing young people legal status to work and live in the country. Here is a look at the economic benefits of this policy.

The action can promote a growth of economy that would be of help to all Americans. It may seem like immigrant workers are out to take the jobs of native workers, but actually they are helping them. This causes an increase in total productivity. According to studies, areas with the highest number of immigrant workers experience the quickest growth in the economy. By adopting the program, the immigrants can further their education while also advancing their work skills. This would in turn contribute to the growth in economy.

The other benefit that comes with deferred action is an increase in wages for the native workforce. Areas having a higher immigrant population offer higher salaries to native workers. This occurs because whenever undocumented immigrants are presented with worker authorization, the wage floor is raised for all workers. Employers are barred from deleveraging salaries of native employees with exploitable undocumented salaries.

Immigrant labor forces positive effect accumulates over time. This means that the benefits that come with allowing immigrants to enhance their education and work legally will continuously be felt for a long time. Since America is finding itself in the midst of a still recovering economy, this can be particularly important.

One sure way of creating more jobs is through creating more demand for essential services. The more money that is in the pockets of average consumers including immigrants, the more job opportunities are created and the better the economy.

With this policy in place, it becomes possible to raise extra federal revenues. Most of the undocumented immigrant workers contribute payroll taxes, despite the fact that they do not get to benefit from them. Some of them are giving billions of dollars to programs such as the Social Security Trust Fund, and they will never get anything from it. If more undocumented immigrants can be provided with work permits, they would increase the contributions made to the fund programs thus raising more federal revenue.

Beneficially of the action can be entitled to its benefits if they make contributions to the Social Security Trust Fund for the necessary time periods. Their eligibility will mean that a crucial gain for the fund will be attained. Immigrant workers are on average significantly younger than their native counterparts, meaning that when the natives retire in large numbers, dreams will reinforce the trust fund.

There is a fear that immigrant workers are a form of substitution for native ones, something that is not true. There are very many differences between the two that would make substitution impossible. As a matter of fact, deferred action only complements the indigenous workforce.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment