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According to shocking statistics, 72% of foreign-born residents in New Haven are in the labor force and only 64% of native-born residents in New Haven are in the labor force. Is there a valid explanation? Or do they really just work harder? Without immigrants where would New Haven stand in the economy?
Without immigrants, our government wouldn’t have as much money. In 2012 Connecticut collected $1,462,832,336 from federal and state income tax from immigrants. 57% of the money gotten from net tuition and fees were from immigrants. Immigrants have a pivotal role in the government's money.
According to John DeStefano, the former mayor of New Haven, ”Robust immigration support economic wealth and make an array of talents.” Sometimes we need immigration not only for diversity in people but in also talents and jobs. This also creates wider job opportunities in the US with all the new talents. Immigrants help in the diversity of talents and job opportunities in the US and even New Haven.
What would happen to the economy if there were no immigrants? Tameika Miller, the director of marketing in the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce responded to this question with great interest. She believed that many businesses would suffer because of the lack of employees. Some specific areas that would suffer would be manufacturing, hospitalization, restaurants, and the medical field. Our entire economy, not only New Haven but also the US, would suffer greatly if there were no immigrants.
Chris George, the founder of IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services) said that immigrants took jobs that native-born people didn’t necessarily want to do. He claimed immigrants required an investment from the government in the beginning, but after 5-20 years, they contribute to the economy in hundreds of billions of dollars. “We’re fortunate to have immigrants coming here to do a lot of the work that allows businesses to build up,” he said. Immigrants don’t steal jobs, they make them and do them.
Tameika Miller and Walter Nester of the Chamber of Commerce
According to Walter Nester, the Business Development Executive of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, “I would not agree with the thought that [immigrants] take jobs away from current employees. I think that it’s adding to the workforce by bringing more people in and adding to the workforce helps the total economy. More people working means more earnings, means more spending, means more success. It’s just foolish to think that it’s the other way around.” He believes immigrants have a positive effect on the economy by helping its overall growth.
There are many different opinions on immigrants effect on the economy. Some think they help in a positive way, and some strongly disagree, but there’s one thing you can’t deny - today's society would be very different without them.
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