The Migration of U.S. Jobs Exiting the Country
Channel: Economy In Crisis
Date: 2014-04-23

Most of Washington understands that this country's state of employment is dire, and immediate action needs to be taken. Unfortunately, they are picking and choosing which problems to view through this lens. The real issue with unemployment is not the workers illegally coming in--it's the jobs legally going out.

To begin with, the majority of positions being filled by illegal immigrants are not coveted by the average out-of-work American. These positions are typically low-paying, low-skill jobs in unfavorable working conditions. In a poverty-stricken nation, this may be incentive and compensation enough to support a family, but the American people are not crying out for these jobs, as they simply exacerbate the less discussed problem of underemployment in the U.S.

The real borders being threatened are the American shorelines, where ship after ship lines up every day with a never-ending supply of imported goods. These are foreign goods that the people of the United States have grown dependent on, as domestic manufacturing has all moved abroad. This is where the average American truly loses out on a meaningful, substantial job. Thousands of viable careers have been outsourced during the era of free trade, and these are the jobs that support families and buy houses. The menial labor positions being taken by illegal immigrants pay minimum wage or just above. This is still indicative of a problem, but it's certainly not the catalyst for the desolate American job market.