The Biden administration has funneled two million additional foreign workers into the United States labor market despite 1.9 million Americans losing their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. This decision by President Joe Biden is a slap in the face to hardworking American citizens who are struggling to find employment and get back on their feet.
Native-born working-age Americans have seen a steady decline in the labor force participation rate since 2000, with 6.4 million more people missing from the workforce if the labor force participation rate was still at its 2000 level. Working-class American’s, specifically those without a bachelor’s degree between 25 and 54 years old, had only an 83.7 percent labor participation rate at the end of 2022 – a significant drop from 76.4 percent in 2000.
Adding two million foreign workers to compete for jobs drives down wages and makes it difficult for native-born Americans to find work and make ends meet – especially during such troubling times as these; when so many are suffering job loss due to COVID-19 or other economic hardships or layoffs.
The Biden administration should be focused on helping struggling Americans recover after such an unprecedented year rather than adding extra competition into the already competitive job market while ignoring those already here who need help getting back on their feet first and foremost. It is time for Congress to step up and demand that President Biden prioritize U.S.-born citizens over foreign workers when considering economic recovery plans moving forward.
