Native-born American men leave workforce in large numbers as immigration increases

(MENAFN) A new report highlights a troubling long-term trend of native-born American men abandoning the workforce, a shift that has paralleled the rise in immigration.

The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) published a study this week revealing that the percentage of working-age (16 to 64) U.S.-born men not participating in the labor market has significantly increased since the 1960s. The figure has surged from 11.3 percent of men neither working nor seeking work in April 1960 to 22.1 percent in April of this year.

"This issue is pertinent to the immigration debate because one of the arguments for allowing large numbers of legal immigrants, or even accepting illegal immigration, is the claim that there is a worker shortage," CIS explained in a blog post summarizing the research. "However, this argument overlooks the massive rise in the number of working-age people who are not part of the workforce."

"Moreover, being outside the labor force is linked to severe social issues such as crime, overdose fatalities, and reliance on welfare," the study's authors warned. "Policymakers should focus on encouraging the millions of people currently on the sidelines to join the workforce, instead of simply expanding immigration as a solution to the problem."

MENAFN22122024000045016755ID1109020726