According to a report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), American youth are increasingly not finding summer jobs because immigrants — both legal and illegal — are taking them instead.
The report suggests the primary reason is that immigrants are willing to work for less than teenaged students.
“Immigrants — legal and illegal — are crowding out U.S.-born teenagers in the labor market,” writes CIS director of research Steven Camarota, who wrote the report.
As the Washington Examiner reports, the CIS found that fewer teens are finding summer employment than ever before, while two times as many immigrants are being hired. The report expresses concern that not obtaining a summer job is more than just an inconvenience for students looking for extra money or seeking to save for college — it can set some of them back for years as they are deprived of experience.
“Teens employed in high school earn more than teens who did not work in the first year after graduation, with wage differences tending to increase over time. Also, teens who were employed in high school are more likely to be employed and work more hours during the year, with a significant relationship between hours worked in high school and subsequent hours worked and wages earned,” Camarota writes.
Camarota’s research discovered that many employers would rather hire an experienced immigrant — legal or not — especially if he or she is willing to work for less.