US temporary work visas beneficial for the economy
by Harleen Kaur - June 12, 2010
United States, 12th June: According to a recent report by the MPI (Migration Policy Institute), US temporary work visas are good for the nation’s economy and the US workers as well.
Immigrant workers coming to the US prove beneficial for the economy, the report maintains.
Although, increased number of immigrants moving into the US decrease opportunities of jobs in the US for native Americans apart from reducing average incomes, however, still, they help in brining desired improvements in the economy in the long run since they increase average income and productivity in the economy.
The report by MPI, Washington was based on the detailed analysis of 1960-2008 US Census figures. The author of the report studied data regarding employment and population of the state in order to derive long-term effects while population surveys since the year 1994 were used for arriving at short term effects.
There is an increased need for making the US work visa programme to suit the requirements of the current labor market of the US, stated Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the MPI.
The report reiterates the fact that the US immigration system to become increasingly responsive to the constantly changing needs of the US labor market if it wants to derive the benefits of immigration to the fullest and to neutralize the negative effects, if any, Papademetriou added.
MPI’s report is the latest endeavor by the groups in favor of immigration reform to prove that foreign immigrant workers are helpful in advancing the interests of the US economy.
The findings of the report say that the long term effects of immigration on US labor market refers to a period of seven to ten years while the short-term effect refer to a period between one to four years.
The conclusion of the report is that the US guest worker programme needs to be expanded and along with a need for making the US immigration system much more flexible to make increased number of US work visas available for the foreign workers which, at present, are curbed due to an upper limit on number of H1-B and H2-B US visas available in a year.
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