Wall Street Journal (11/20/14) Damian Paletta
President Obama’s plan to provide legal-worker status to several million undocumented immigrants likely will prompt many of them to seek better jobs, increasing competition in the labor market, economists say. Economists and politicians have widely different views on what effect the executive order will have on the labor market and the economy. Much will depend on the details the president puts forward.
Supporters of an immigration overhaul estimate that granting legal status will bring more workers into the tax system and boost government revenue, but many critics have said that it will overwhelm social-welfare programs and displace numerous workers.