Immigration is a major force in many countries’ economies. It boosts productivity and economic growth, bringing jobs, incomes, and innovation. In advanced economies, it also helps offset population decline and the aging of native-born workers. As a result, policymakers should focus on how to best manage the benefits and costs of immigration in the 21st century.
Whether high- or low-skilled, legal or not, immigrants generally make it easier for the government to match supply and demand in labor markets. By adding to the economy’s supply, they help keep prices down and may even raise wages for some native-born workers.
Most people who immigrate do so for one of five reasons: work, reunite with family, study, seek safety or religious freedom, and encourage diversity. The United States allows immigration for all of those reasons, but it prioritizes employment-based visas for highly skilled workers.
The country needs the workers that immigrants bring, which is why Congress should expand access to family-based and employment-based visas. However, it is equally important to reform the system so that workers already here can fully reach their potential.
Assuming that we can find a way to allow all of the asylum seekers who are currently seeking entry to our country to have their claims heard, immigration should be allowed to proceed normally, without restrictions or border closures. This will help the nation meet its future labor market needs and reduce the cost of welfare programs and other public services.
A growing labor force is the key to increasing our standard of living and ensuring that we remain the world’s most prosperous and vibrant economy. As birth rates drop worldwide, immigration is an essential part of avoiding long-term decline in the workforce.
Immigration has played a vital role in addressing population decline in the United States and other nations. It helps prevent urban crime and housing vacancies, as well as reducing poverty in lower-income areas of cities. It’s also an essential source of new jobs and business investment, preventing declines in housing prices and providing low-wage workers with more buying power.
Restricting immigration would shrink the economy, cost jobs, and cut the quality of the goods and services we produce. Moreover, it would weaken the United States’ global leadership and diminish its capacity to create jobs and opportunity for all Americans. We should continue to encourage immigration to strengthen the economy, improve the lives of those who are here, and support our international obligations. This is the right thing to do.