From\nleftist politicians to libertarian think tanks, it\u2019s conventional wisdom that\nAmerica requires evermore immigrants to keep its economy going and to offset\nthe aging of the American population. President Trump is on board, now\ndeclaring, \u201cI need people coming in.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not\nso fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though\nthe U.S. is on track to receive 75 million foreign arrivals by 2060, new\nresearch shows that their presence will do little to stop the country from\naging. Turns out that immigrants get old like the rest of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnder current census projections, the working-age (16-64) share of the population in 2060 would be 59 percent. It would still be 58 percent in a population-stabilization scenario where we cut immigration by two-thirds,” reports Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler of the Center for Immigration Studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under a zero-immigration policy, there would be 89.8 million people 65 and older in 2060. But assuming current levels of immigration continue, there will be94.7 million<\/em> people 65 and older in 2060, according to CIS models. (This does not count illegal aliens<\/a>, who, by the way, are staying in this country for longer periods.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immigration\nenthusiasts have put America on a highly inefficient treadmill that demands an\naccelerating influx of foreign arrivals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According\nto CIS, immigration levels would have to be five times the current rate to\nroughly preserve the working-age share of the population. This would produce a\ntotal U.S. population in 2060 of 706\nmillion<\/em> \u2014 more than doubling today\u2019s head count, and boosting the share of\nforeign-born residents to an unprecedented 36.4 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Camarota\u2019s\nreport recommends better alternatives to such a socially disruptive and\nenvironmentally destructive trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n R<\/strong>aising the retirement age two years.<\/strong> Even\nwith zero net immigration, this would have about the same impact on the\nworking-age share or ratio of workers to retirees in 2060 as the level of net\nimmigration projected by the Census Bureau. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Increasing the share of working-age people who are actually\nemployed.<\/strong> The present labor force participation rate for\nworking age adults is 63.2 percent, low by historic standards. Returning to a more\ntypical 75 percent rate would have the same effect as vastly higher immigration\nlevels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FAIR has repeatedly debunked the notion that the U.S. must rely on massive infusions of foreign labor. From agriculture<\/a> to nursing<\/a> to technology<\/a> reputed shortages of workers are, in fact, partly manufactured by bottom-feeding employers pushing Americans out of jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meantime, America\u2019s foreign-labor lobby is working overtime. The Migration Policy Institute<\/a> this week unhelpfully suggested, \u201cAmid U.S. demand for higher skills and education, credentialing \u2018immigrant-origin\u2019 adult workers could be key.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Libertarians<\/a> contend that large-scale population growth creates more opportunities for businesses, workers and consumers. The Left<\/a> leverages this mantra for perceived political gain. Naturally, corporatist conservatives<\/a> are buying in, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet the bigger-is-better agenda fails to address critical \u2013 and growing — concerns about the size, density and cohesion of our population while ignoring (or embracing) steep fiscal and environmental costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately,\nit\u2019s a lose-lose proposition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As\nCamarota notes, \u201cThe debate should not be whether [immigration]makes for a\nmuch larger population \u2014 it does. The debate should also not be whether it has\na large impact on increasing the working-age share of the population or the\nratio of workers to retirees \u2014 it does not.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From leftist politicians to libertarian think tanks, it\u2019s conventional wisdom that America requires evermore immigrants to keep its economy going and to offset the aging of the American population. President Trump is on board, now declaring, \u201cI need people coming in.\u201d Not so fast. Though the U.S. is on track to receive 75 million foreign<\/p>\n