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Christopher Matthews, writer for Time Magazine, in a Jan. 30, 2013 article, "The Economics of Immigration: Who Wins, Who Loses and Why," available at time.com, stated:

“It might seems like a no-brainer that increased immigration [legal and illegal] would reduce the wages of native-born Americans. A simple supply and demand model would tell you that more workers means lower wages. But the story is actually more complicated than that. According to a 2010 survey of the economic literature, the Brookings Institute concluded that, ‘The most recent academic research suggests that, on average, immigrants raise the over standard of living of American workers by boosting wages and lowering prices.’

How can it be that more workers competing over the same jobs can lead to higher wages? The reason is that it’s now actually more workers competing over the same jobs. Immigration actually changes what jobs employers need to fill. For one, an influx of cheap labor can make certain businesses like farming or restaurants feasible. (Absent cheap labor, these firms simply could not compete with foreign rivals.) Second, immigrants not only supply labor, but demand it, too. And a larger domestic population through immigration creates more potential customers for businesses as well.”

Jan. 30, 2013