labor
Labor Shortage From Border Policies Could Impact $1 Trillion Infrastructure Spending Program
By now, the entire world is familiar with President Trump’s stance on border security and his infamous wall. Yet, as Trump pushes to remove illegal immigrants from the U.S. citing safety and security concerns, there’s some already noticeable results that he hadn’t planned on… As a result of Trump’s stance on illegals, more and more builders are finding themselves with a shortage of reliable labor to put up homes. As a result of the labor shortage, home prices are rising quickly
The Consequences of Labor Shortage
Whether from President Obama’s past policies or President Trump’s current policies, unemployment is currently at the lowest level it’s seen in about a decade at 4.4 percent. That means more money coming in from payroll taxes for the government and also shows signs of a healthy industry. However, one industry that isn’t rising is builders. With the exception of major cities with ongoing development projects such as New York, Chicago, LA, and Miami, contractors are seeing shortages of skilled labor positions. As a result, construction labor costs are rising an average of 4-5 percent annually, which is more than the annual rise of inflation.
Some reasons are that during the last construction downturn, many workers found other careers or simply retired, while younger people today stay away from labor positions. However, the biggest culprit looks to be President Trump’s immigration policies. More than 25% of all construction workers are immigrants, with about 20% of workers being illegal immigrants.
Watch the video from ABC News as Trump ask Congress for $1-trillion infrastructure investment:
Many of these workers rely on H-2B visas, which are temporary visas issued to workers with non-agricultural jobs. These Visas are capped at 66,000 every fiscal year, though return workers don’t count towards that number. The homeland security secretary can increase the number of visas to about 130,000. But even with that number, concerns point to the construction industry needing about another 500,000 workers to fill all open positions. Employers must advertise to American workers before hiring foreign labor under H-2B rules. And with the time it takes between applying for and receiving visas, foreign labor may not be available for weeks or even months. That delay would affect seasonal help as well as infrastructure spending, leading to higher prices remaining for businesses who rely on foreign workers. Don’t expect those prices to go down anytime soon.
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I believe this is a temporary hiccup that will not truly affect our economy. As wages rise, (yes home prices will increase) some of the unemployed may come off welfare and return to work, tax revenue will increase, and social services to the aliens will decrease with the net effect being a better economy and less crime. Perhaps schools may improve by having fewer foreign students and more patriotism.
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Art Webb says:
the labor market has been artificially depressed by the ready availability of cheap labor by illegals, and we have young men who were born here seeking jobs that don’t exist, this is a market adjustment, nothing more, builders will have to raise pay, then non illegals will move to the proffession, and the pay rate will stabilize at a more equitable rate, and more young men will have decent paying jobd
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greenlantern1 says:
You do realize that Trump’s building were built with foreign labor?
That his properties are staffed by foreigners?
That Trump holds many visas for his businesses?
How many construction workers does it take, to sell FAKE condos in Baja, Mexico-
Of course I know that, I JUST SAID the construction labor market is depressed in the US BECAUSE of cheap illegal immigrant labor
Trump, like every other builder, is simply doing what is economically required
In a market where everyone is paying low wages to illegals, only an utter fool would pay higher wages for the same work
I give zero fucks about what Trump has done, along with EVERY OTHER BUILDER IN THE COUNTRY, as a result of the availability of cheap illegal immigrant labor, the fact is, a scarcity of labor in any market raises wages, and lowers unemployment, by sending people who are currently unemployed / underemployed into that field-
TOTAL agreement!!
We both agree that there is a HUGE problem!
However; why are you buying Trump’s FAKE elixir?-
Why do you assume I’m buying his elixir?
All I’m saying is the market has been artificially depressed by cheap illegal labor, and removing that will cause a market adjustment. I never said anything about Trump, you did -
Isn’t Trump peddling his “cure”/
You assume that Capitalism’s “invisible hands” will correct the problem.
WALL STREET CLAIMS to believe in capitalism.
It has trusts and monopolies!
What would Adam Smith say about that? -
Once again, you inserted Trump into this discussion, not me. I only remarked that the presence of illegals in the market was artificially depressing the market, as it was
Stop putting words in my mouth
You should be questioning insttead why the ‘anti big business’ side of the political spectrum favors the retention of illegals as cheap labor, as it favored the retention of slavery not that long ago
Capitalism, and the market, work, if left alone -
In order!!
Ever read the autobiography, NEVER AGAIN, by John Ashcroft?
He, not Eric Holder, ordered the rescue of illegals!
Remember when Attorney-General Janet Reno enforced our immigration laws?
Remember Elian Gonzales?
Where was Trump?
President Andrew Jackson hated banks!
Would he have selected Nicholas Biddle for his cabinet?
WALL STREET CLAIMS to be for capitalism!
Why were regulations necessary in the first place? -
In order!
No, I haven’t
I never accused Holder of anything
And?
Yes, I do, his family was menaced by jack booted thugs with fully automatic weapons, one of which was pointed directly at him in clear violation of gun safety rules, so he could be ripped from the arms of the family who loved him and be sent to a communist hellhole
Attending to his businesses as a business man should, why should Trum have done anything about it? he had no political power, and it wasn’t his job
Lots of people hate banks
Dunno, don’t care
And they aren’t?
To avoid chaosNow for some of my own
Why do you ASSUME I’m a Trump bot? At what point have a rah-cheered Trump?
If you want to continue tilting at windmills, I guess that’s up to you, but the dragon you think you’re battling was never here
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Secure borders?
Ever read the Zimmerman Note?
The HUN tried to goad Mexico into attacking us!
Why didn’t it do so then?
Part of the reason, our doughboys went OVER THERE, was to protect us, OVER HERE! -
HOFFHACK says:
Geeee! So you mean there will be good construction jobs for Americans instead of hiring a bunch of beaners? THAT BREAKS MY HEART! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ce62ded98dcea19ecfa5f8816bfe9dc291a9150a34d9512c1e67dc84b1a1296.jpg
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