Michu
24.11.2004, 02:03
Eine aeusserst aufschlussreiche Zusammenstellung ueber die Anzahl der Immigraten in den Jahren 2000-2004, hat heute das Center for Immigration Studies veroeffentlicht.
Economy Slowed, But Immigration Didn't
The Foreign-Born Population, 2000-2004
November 2004
The recent economic slowdown represents a real-world test of the argument that immigration is largely driven by the U.S. economy. Although the economy slowed after 2000, analysis of the latest Census Bureau data shows that immigration remained at record levels. The nation’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached a new record of more than 34 million in March of 2004, an increase of 4.3 million just since 2000. The fact that immigration levels have remained so high even though job growth has been weak indicates that immigration does not rise and fall in close step with the economy, as some have imagined. Rather, immigration is a complex process driven by many factors.
The 34.24 million immigrants (legal and illegal) now living in the country is the highest number ever recorded in American history and a 4.3 million increase since 2000.
Of the 4.3 million growth, almost half, or two million, is estimated to be from illegal immigration.
The same data also show that in the years between 2000 and 2004 nearly 6.1 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) arrived from abroad. New arrivals are offset by deaths and return migration among the existing immigrant population so that the net total increased by 4.3 million.
Since 2000, 6.1 million new immigrants have arrived, compared to the 5.5 million who arrived between 1996 and 2000, during the economic expansion.
The record pace of immigration is so surprising because unemployment among immigrants increased from 4.4 to 6.1 percent and the total number unemployed grew by 43 percent.
In contrast to current immigration, evidence indicates that economic downturns in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did have a very significant impact on immigration levels.
Immigrants now account for nearly 12 percent of the nation’s total population, the highest percentage in over 80 years.
Recent immigration has had no significant impact on the nation’s age structure. If the 6.1 million immigrants who arrived after 2000 had not come, the average age in America would remain virtually unchanged at 36 years.
The diversity of the immigrant population continues to decline, with the top country, Mexico, accounting for 31 percent of all immigrants in 2004, up from 28 percent in 2000, 22 percent in 1990, and 16 percent in 1980.
States with the largest increase in their immigrant populations were Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
In contrast to past centuries, immigration levels are no longer closely tied to the business cycle. This does not mean that economic factors are entirely irrelevant. The higher standard of living in the United States compared with those in most sending-countries almost certainly plays an important role in encouraging immigration. But a much higher standard of living exists even during a recession. Moreover, people come to America for many reasons, including to join family, avoid social or legal obligations, take advantage of America’s social services, and enjoy greater personal and political freedom. Thus, even a prolonged economic downturn is unlikely to have a large impact on immigration levels. It also must be remembered that there has been no major change in the selection criteria used or numerical limits placed on legal immigration, even after the 9/11 attacks. Moreover, immigration enforcement efforts have actually become more lax in recent years.1 Lowering immigration levels would require enforcement of immigration laws and changes to the legal immigration system.
Die komplete Studie kann man hier nachlesen:
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/back1204.html
oder als Pdf-File:
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/back1204.pdf
Gruss
Michael
Economy Slowed, But Immigration Didn't
The Foreign-Born Population, 2000-2004
November 2004
The recent economic slowdown represents a real-world test of the argument that immigration is largely driven by the U.S. economy. Although the economy slowed after 2000, analysis of the latest Census Bureau data shows that immigration remained at record levels. The nation’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached a new record of more than 34 million in March of 2004, an increase of 4.3 million just since 2000. The fact that immigration levels have remained so high even though job growth has been weak indicates that immigration does not rise and fall in close step with the economy, as some have imagined. Rather, immigration is a complex process driven by many factors.
The 34.24 million immigrants (legal and illegal) now living in the country is the highest number ever recorded in American history and a 4.3 million increase since 2000.
Of the 4.3 million growth, almost half, or two million, is estimated to be from illegal immigration.
The same data also show that in the years between 2000 and 2004 nearly 6.1 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) arrived from abroad. New arrivals are offset by deaths and return migration among the existing immigrant population so that the net total increased by 4.3 million.
Since 2000, 6.1 million new immigrants have arrived, compared to the 5.5 million who arrived between 1996 and 2000, during the economic expansion.
The record pace of immigration is so surprising because unemployment among immigrants increased from 4.4 to 6.1 percent and the total number unemployed grew by 43 percent.
In contrast to current immigration, evidence indicates that economic downturns in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did have a very significant impact on immigration levels.
Immigrants now account for nearly 12 percent of the nation’s total population, the highest percentage in over 80 years.
Recent immigration has had no significant impact on the nation’s age structure. If the 6.1 million immigrants who arrived after 2000 had not come, the average age in America would remain virtually unchanged at 36 years.
The diversity of the immigrant population continues to decline, with the top country, Mexico, accounting for 31 percent of all immigrants in 2004, up from 28 percent in 2000, 22 percent in 1990, and 16 percent in 1980.
States with the largest increase in their immigrant populations were Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
In contrast to past centuries, immigration levels are no longer closely tied to the business cycle. This does not mean that economic factors are entirely irrelevant. The higher standard of living in the United States compared with those in most sending-countries almost certainly plays an important role in encouraging immigration. But a much higher standard of living exists even during a recession. Moreover, people come to America for many reasons, including to join family, avoid social or legal obligations, take advantage of America’s social services, and enjoy greater personal and political freedom. Thus, even a prolonged economic downturn is unlikely to have a large impact on immigration levels. It also must be remembered that there has been no major change in the selection criteria used or numerical limits placed on legal immigration, even after the 9/11 attacks. Moreover, immigration enforcement efforts have actually become more lax in recent years.1 Lowering immigration levels would require enforcement of immigration laws and changes to the legal immigration system.
Die komplete Studie kann man hier nachlesen:
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/back1204.html
oder als Pdf-File:
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/back1204.pdf
Gruss
Michael