In the last installment of my four-part series of some of the myths by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) about the Gang of Eight immigration bill, I take a look at how the Gang of Eight amnesty bill claims to protect American workers.
The Bill Will Protect American Workers
Rubio Speak
This bill protects American workers from unwarranted immigration for jobs that Americans are willing and able to do. For example, the proposal would not allow any work visas to be issued if the unemployment rate in a certain area is above 8.5 percent, which is the norm in many cities.
The Truth about Rubio Amnesty
- There are no jobs that Americans won’t do because there are no jobs that Americans aren’t already doing. Americans are reluctant to take certain jobs because wages for these jobs have remained stagnant for the last forty years while conditions for workers have worsened. Even so, 30 percent of farm laborers are U.S. citizens. According to a Center for Immigration Studies analysis, out of 472 occupations listed by the Census Bureau, native-born workers are the majority of workers in 466 of these occupations.
- 8.5 percent unemployment is extraordinarily high. Since January 1948, the unemployment rate in the U.S. has averaged 5.8 percent.
- What Sen. Rubio means is that the quota for guest workers will increase unless unemployment goes higher than 8.5 percent. With the passage of his bill, hundreds of thousands more guest workers will immediately begin to flood the labor market.
- The unemployment rate for construction workers in March 2013 was 14.7 percent. It has been above 8.5 percent for 61 out of the last 64 months. The unemployment rate for agricultural workers in March 2013 was 13.5 percent. How does Sen. Rubio explain the supposed worker shortage in these sectors? He simply relies on talking points supplied to him by industry and open borders lobbyists.