Immigration is the movement of people to countries where they are not native citizens to settle there as naturalized or permanent citizens. Just like other powerful industrial countries around the globe, the issue of immigration is a matter of national concern in the United States of America. Its implications cut through social, economic, and political stability of the country but American Union Workers is our top issue of concern. There are various misperceptions and concerns regarding the issue of immigration, but its effects bear greater implications in the country’s income distribution, unemployment, and price inflation amongst other effects (Miller, 2010).
First, immigration leads to unemployment. The Native American workers with low levels of education are typically prone to lose their job positions to the skilled and trained immigrants (Heyne et al., 2013). Thus, not unless the American economy responds to issue of immigration by creating more job opportunities, the problem of unemployment becomes primarily critical. Despite the fact that some economists have been arguing that immigration does not lead to unemployment, its effects are devastating in the short run because the economy takes the time to adjust and develop more opportunities for the native workers with low academic qualifications. Furthermore, immigrants occupy the available job opportunities that should have been filled by the native graduates and college fresh minds thus increasing the rate of unemployment in the country. Other than unemployment, the issue of immigrants accounts for small wage and salary schemes of the native workers in the country making it difficult for the American workers union to guarantee satisfactions in the working conditions amongst its members (Evans, 2013).
Second, immigration affects income distribution in the United States. Immigrants are primarily considered as consumers just like the Native American citizens. Hence, the government is forced to readjust its budgetary allocations and income distribution to suit them as well. The immigrants are also taxpayers who play significant roles in relieving the country from budgetary constraints and general productivity (Heyne et al., 2013). However, undocumented immigrants are not entirely productive because a majority of them are not registered to the legal community programs and other income generation initiative because they are afraid they can be deported back to their countries. Perhaps, the cost of deporting unauthorized immigrants back to their countries requires financial readjustments. Far from that, illegal immigrants account for the relatively high number of the populations of individuals who live in poverty in the country leading to income inequality. Most importantly, readjustments of income distributions in the United States to cater to illegal immigrants are stumbling blocks in resolving the issue of income inequality in the country (Greason, 2015).
Third, immigration affects inflation. The immediate impact of issues of immigration increases in population that leads to a respective increase in consumption and demands of goods and services. Thus, when the demand for goods and services increase, it results to increase in prices and inflation in general (Heyne et al., 2013). Perhaps, immigration can also contribute to decreasing in rates of inflation in the country by boosting availability and options of labor. However, as far as labor is also a unit of production, once labor wages have been paid and catered for, consumers become the next target. Thus, after all, the rate of inflation will typically depend on the productivity of the immigrants. Should the country register a high number of unproductive and unskilled immigrants, there will be a notable increase in the rates of inflation in the country. On the other hand, if a large percentage of the population of the immigrants will be productive, the prices of goods and services will probably become affordable.
Thus, as far as it is difficult to identify and select immigrants with technical skills to move into the United States, immigration increases demand and supply of goods and services in the country leading to high rates of inflation. Additionally, unauthorized immigrants who are not accounted for are also consumers who contribute to increasing in prices of both local goods and services. Although there are other associated benefits of immigration in the United States like increasing taxation options, the issue should be handled with utmost concern and sensitivity not to alter the country’s productivity (Heyne et al., 2013).
- Evans, K. M. (2013). The American economy. Detroit: Gale Cengage Learning.
- Greason, W. (2015). American economy. Place of publication not identified: Kendall Hunt.
- Heyne, P., Boettke Peter J., Prychitko David L., (2013). The Economic Way of Thinking (13th ed.) Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
- Miller, D. A. (2010). Immigration. Detroit: Greenhaven Press/Gale Cengage Learning.
