Do Immigrants Really Take Away American Jobs?

Pew Hispanic Research released a report in August of 2006 that seems to refute some of the claims made by anti-immigration folks, namely that "non-native" immigrants are taking away jobs from "native" Americans. What seems to be true is that non-natives are filling jobs in areas where fewer natives live and are generally not affecting employment of natives where the majority of US population lives.

For example,

Among the major findings:

• Eight states had above-average growth in the foreign-born population from 1990-2000 and below-average employment rates for native-born workers in 2000. Those states, where immigration may have had a negative impact, include North Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona and accounted for 15% of all native-born workers.
• Fourteen states had above-average growth in the foreign-born population and above-average employment rates for native-born workers in 2000. Those states, where rapid immigration appears to have not harmed native-born workers, include Texas, Nevada and Georgia and accounted for 24% of all native-born workers.
• The growth in the foreign-born population from 1990-2000 was below average in 16 states with above-average employment rates for native-born workers in 2000. Those states, in which the native born may have benefited from the slow pace of growth in the foreign-born workforce, include Illinois, Michigan and Virginia and represented 23% of the native-born workforce.
• The growth in the foreign-born population was below average in 12 states and the District of Columbia, with below-average employment rates for native workers in 2000. Those states, in which the slow growth in the foreign-born workforce may not have benefited native workers, include California, New York, New Jersey and Florida and represented 38% of the native-born workforce.
• Between 2000 and 2004, there was a positive correlation between the increase in the foreign-born population and the employment of native-born workers in 27 states and the District of Columbia Together, they accounted for 67% of all native-born workers and include all the major destination states for immigrants. In the remaining 23 states there was a negative correlation between the growth of the foreign-born population and the employment of native-born workers. Those states accounted for 33% of the native-born workforce in 2004.
• The share of foreign-born workers in the workforce of a state was not related to the employment rate for native-born workers in either 2000 or 2004.
• Many immigrant workers lack a college education and are relatively young, but the analysis found no evidence that they had an impact on the employment outcomes of those native-born workers who also have low levels of education and are ages 25-34.