Western Michigan University Economics Professor Susan Pozo says that when the debate over immigration heated up in 2016, it was important to hear from economists who had studied the issue. She says several of them came to the Western Michigan University campus during the 2016-17 academic year for the Economics Department’s Werner Sichel Lecture series. Note: This interview was originally heard in January.
Pozo is the editor of The Human and Economic Implications of Twenty-First Century Immigration Policy. The book published by the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research includes summaries of the work by the economists who spoke at Western that year.
The book includes chapters on the fiscal effects of immigration, how immigrants assimilate and if that changes from one generation to the next. Other chapters examine the different experiences of poverty for native-born Americans and immigrants, as well as the relationship between the issues of immigration and trade.
WestSouthwest Brief with Susan Pozo
Pozo says it’s important that immigration policy be based on facts not anecdotes. She says the data shows that immigration helps the U.S. economy. But Pozo says some people are left worse off. She says the gains from immigration should be used to help those who are disadvantaged.