The number cited was .6%, not 6%. So the $11.87 was correct.

And you are incorrect, the average wage for dairy workers in California is $11.38. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124890678343891639.html

Can you show me data for the “$4/hr + room/board.” Just wondering because I think your statements are misguided.

And the problem here is that government is trying to get into the business by restricting their workforce. They ARE making a profit, now. Once they restrict illegal immigrants from working, that will make them unprofitable, or at least less profitable.

Farmers can not make profit paying any labor unit $11.80/hr. Get government out of our business and maybe we can start seeing some profit, which will result in higher wages for all.

Who said they aren’t costly? They just provide a net benefit… which justifies the costs.

“Every empirical study of illegals’ economic impact demonstrates … undocumented immigrants contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services.”

So Illigals are not costly?

The biggest problem with the debate, as I see it, is people don’t acknowledge the fact that cutting down the supply of labor would inevitably increase the costs. If people really want to cut down demand for foreign labor, they’re going to have to accept much higher prices for agricultural products (and other things produced using foreign labor). If faced with the choice of accepting immigration or paying $3 (or more) per apple to compensate the demands of an native American workforce, I think there would be a lot more support for immigration.

At least articles like this will hopefully get the needed conversations started.
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This story seems to express the point I was trying to make.

http://gmj.gallup.com/content/24448/Real-Impact-Illegal-Immigration.aspx

What about, I guess you could call it opportunity costs, of illegal/abuse of immigration. The loss of the dollars being exported or unearned. Has that been calculated in the economic impact?

Economic growth may be good for some but not necessarily for all. The recent “jobless recovery” as an example.

I’ve enjoyed the discussion, surprised there hasn’t been more.

Shortage of skilled labor is a fallacy? Our country is shifting away from math and science, we don’t have enough people trained in technical fields.

Migrant workers do work in construction and other industries, not just agriculture.

And if you didn’t turn your cheek to the illegal immigration and “artificially” increase the supply of labor, we would have a labor shortage. As evidenced across the country, fields would rot. The lettuce/pear/apple farmers mentioned in this entry are perfect examples of people who were burned by the crackdown on illegal immigration. The argument that we could cover that labor demand without illegal immigrants is laughable, really.

And I assure you, the production of milk (and other agri) would be exported to another country before prices rise substantially. So, as Americans, we can accept the fact that we need migrant workers for our economy to grow, or we can get all isolationist and decline the economic growth.

And obviously they aren’t all migrant workers. But of the 6% of Texans that are illegal immigrants, I don’t know how people can argue that they aren’t a boon to the economy. Arguments otherwise neglect the fact that “Every empirical study of illegals’ economic impact demonstrates … undocumented immigrants contribute more to public coffers in taxes than they cost in social services.”

Thanks for the discussion, Mike.

I did not mean migrant workers specifically more in general, look at construction, meat packers, janitorial etc.

If you artificially increase the supply of labor )through a broken immagrations system) the demand for wage will fall. Fixing the immagration system is not an easy job.

We as a country and economy have gotten addicted to low prices, and fixing it will be painful and nobody want’s to do it.

And I’ll agree if they can’t import the labor they export the job.

And I’m in Texas! They are not all migrant workers in the fields.

Very good point. $11/hr @ 55 hrs/wk @ 45 wks/yr (downtime in agri) = $27,225 per year. That would put them in a lower tax bracket that doesn’t pay much in income taxes. And as I’ve said, many of them do pay income taxes using ITIN’s or fake SS #’s.

Good point to bring up though, it does seem like a red herring.