Media misses immigration angle in jobs analysis

Over the past three months, the economy has created an average of 75,000 new jobs and the federal government has created an average of 75,000 new permanent U.S. job seekers via immigration. The mainstream media does not report the latter statistic. For years, NumbersUSA has talked about the 75,000 permanent work permits the federal government grants (on average) to immigrant workers every month. For the last three months, job creation has barely kept pace with the number of green cards issued - a fact that eluded the press and, therefore, much of the citizenry.

Reporters do a slightly better job in acknowledging population growth's connection to the employment situation. Unemployment numbers are effected not just by new jobs created but by new workers seeking those jobs:

But what the Stateman Journal explicitly states, and the Washington Post implies (that U.S. population growth is a completely natural phenomenon), is not true. In fact, U.S. population growth is primarily engineered by Congress via immigration policy. Seventy-five percent of U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2010 was due to 13.1 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) and 8.2 million births to immigrant mothers in that decade and the Census Bureau projects "86 percent of the population growth during the year 2050 may be due to the effects of post-1992 net immigration." The mainstream media hasn't made the connection and has never questioned the government's forced-growth policies during high unemployment.

By ignoring immigration's role in expanding the labor force, journalists give President Obama, presumptive GOP nominee Romney, and Congress a free pass on their role (potential role, in Romeny's case) in importing workers. The coverage of the June jobs report focused on job creation while ignoring worker importation:

  • "Each month that the economy produces fewer jobs than are needed just to keep pace with population growth adds to the burden the president faces as the clock ticks toward November." (For Obama, a jobs report that keeps stinging Washington Post);
  • "To simply drop the unemployment rate below 8 percent before election day, the economy will need to add 219,000 jobs in each of the four jobs reports between now and then — a prospect that, given the last three months, seems very unlikely." (President Obama’s troubling trend line on jobs Washington Post).

The Washington Post speculated that the "downbeat report is likely to put pressure on the Federal Reserve, Congress and the White House to do more to stimulate economic growth and new jobs," but wrote nothing about putting pressure on Congress and the White House to slow the increase in foreign job seekers.

MSNBC found no news-worthy connection between the President's amnesty and the unemployment situation. "Despite things appearing to break the president’s way in the past couple of weeks – from immigration to health care, we’re reminded this morning what this election is all about – the economy, with yet another mediocre-to-bad jobs report."

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that Obama's policy could grant up to 1.4 million workers under 30 years old permission to compete with America's unemployed youth. But ABC didn't see any reason to raise the issue in its story, "People Under 30 ‘Desperate’ For Full-Time Jobs." The desperate Americans in ABC's story are among the most vulnerable to foreign worker competition. Reporters will get another crack at telling their story next month.

JEREMY BECK is the Director of the Media Standards Program for NumbersUSA

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  • One thought, Triptolemus: In Obama's mind, he represents the meek and poor of the world. His cause is bigger than America. Another thought: My cause is bigger than America.  I’m for the meek and the poor.  The difference: Obama looks externally for answers. I look internally. Obama is Piscean oriented. The symbol for Pisces is two attached fish swimming in opposite directions. Obama is a divider.  Aquarians look internally for answers. The symbol for Aquarius is the water-bearer. I’m an Aquarian uniter. We are leaving the Age of Pisces, entering the Age of Aquarius.

     

  • @Triptolemus:One thought. If he can get enough people destitute and desperate, who don't want or can't get givemint subsidy, again the let them eat cake philosophy, he may be pushing for civil disobedience so he can declare martial law.

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  • Great post! It's clear the high unemployment is intentional and part of a larger plan towreck the economy.

  • @Joseph Whitworth Smith: Obozo has no thought of "bringing up" the have nots.  He is simply out to for vengence against caucasians through his hatred of the race. He has freely admitted he hates his own mother simply because she's white. What do you think he thinks about the rest of us???

  •  What also excapes being reported, is the tax shelter this creates for employers who hire immigrant, migrant workers. Business taxes, fees, are greatly reduced, has their bottom line increases, just has those same businesses receive tax write offs for housing, food, transportation, etc., services provided. The elite class sure does enjoy vacationland junkets to the vineyards, with waitresses, housekeepers, bartenders, consierge workers,gardners, etc., looking, and being the part of the play they expect.  

  • Obama's challenger, a successful private enterprise owner, Obama's campaign based on destroying that image—African-Americans leading the pack in unemployment—this isn't racist; it is fact, ninety percent of African-Americans vote for Democrats.

     Pushing hard for caretaker government, Obama has raised taxes, the greatest increase in America’s history with Obamacare, and on middleclass America, and he intends on eliminating the Bush tax cuts, thus pushing hard to put small business owners out of business, who hire 70 percent of America's workers, Obama is doing his dead-level best to wreck America’s free enterprise economy.

     

    Unemployment figures come from people currently drawing unemployment compensation.  This leaves out people who have ceased looking for jobs, people who are working for far less than they were, and small business owners put out of business, who are not eligible for unemployment compensation. Obama is the have-not president, with a Kenyan background.

    By bringing down America, Obama believes he is bringing up the have-not world. History does not support him. In the year 1000, Europe in the Dark Age, controlled by the Holy Catholic Empire; under free enterprise, China was prospering. Africa was Muslim barbarians.

  • All I want is to have a clear and honest government working for us and not themselves.  Think we'll ever have one?  I know, too much to ask for as long as there are crooks, there will be liars.  Honesty pays, but not with this government.  Federal jobs are not true jobs because they use taxpayer monies over and over again and again.  Capitalists make "new money" to put into the hands of real people to spend in our economy, and not used money.  New money makes the world go around, while the federal government jobs stifle us to death, and actually ends up with no new jobs and more suicides and murder because no one gets anywhere anymore.

  • Brian, it IS great to see people finally agreeing on our Illegal trespassing mess, and to quit labeling it "Immigration."   Look at this eye-opening video of the real annual costs of Millions of Illegal trespassers.

  • Brian,  I would love to see that, because of all the Billions in annual costs of Illegals we all subsidize for the people that hire them Illegally.   What we should at least do is a VERY heavy fine for 1st. offense, then loss of business licence, an even larger fine, and possible jail time for those that break these Laws.  With 23 Million Americans unemployed we should cut way back on Legal Immigration for several years as well.

    Amazing with the terrible economy & high long-term unemployment, Obama STILL grants Amnesty to a million more Illegals, and continue to let in so many guest workers!

  • The answer is simple,take pictures,get DNA,then send the illegal's home,..oh, and bill their home country,..and with them,send this note,..thank you for visiting,but due to a mix up in washington,the borders are closed until further notice,..(in straight english,it means,the borders are closed until hell freeze's rock solid,due to a fidiot in the white house)sorry,...

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