A new study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), based on the U.S. H-2B visa lottery mechanism, shows that allowing businesses to legally hire low-skilled immigrant workers has not reduced employment opportunities for native American workers; instead, it has helped firms expand operations and create more jobs for U.S. employees. Researchers surveyed 472 companies that participated in the H-2B visa lotteries in 2021 and 2022, examining those that were selected and those that were not. The results indicate that companies that did not win the lottery saw their foreign labor workforce shrink by approximately half. In contrast, companies granted H-2B visas experienced a 12% to 14% increase in revenue, with even faster profit growth, and reinvested a larger share of profits into business expansion. The article argues that despite the Trump administration’s tightening of legal and illegal immigration channels, demand for immigrant labor remains strong across industries such as construction, caregiving, food production, hospitality, and landscaping. Without expanding orderly legal immigration pathways, current restrictive policies may constrain business scale, weaken service supply, and become a drag on U.S. employment and economic growth.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870110813419658/
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