Population And Immigration In Relation To The Job Market

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Population And Immigration In Relation To The Job Market

The most important factor controlling the size, variety and unemployment in the labor force is that of population growth and decline.

Baby Boom Generation:

An interesting facet of the American job market has to do with a direct connection to W.W.II - the "baby boom generation." (those born between 1947-57). A noticeable increase in enrollment in public and elementary schools grew steadily from 1964 and peaked at 46 million in 1971 due to this large group of children entering school. As they graduated or left school, the rate declined steadily for 13 years, but the rate again grew in 1984 when the children of those baby boomers, the "baby boomlets," came of school age. Although it has not reached the peak level of 1971, by 1998 their projected enrollment is expected to surpass this number (National Current Employment Statistics.

Ages and Job Opportunities:

Obviously this enrollment study has direct ties to the job market. As the baby boomlets leave school, it is assumed that they will join the labor force. The civilian labor force in 1992 was 127 million. The projection for the labor force on 2005 is projected at 151 million (National Current Employment Statistics. Now lets do some basic economics... what happens when the demand for jobs is greater than the supply? Seeing as the population will have more and more competition for jobs, there will definitely be pressure put on employees in general. In trying to facilitate the unemployed, an interesting thing happens. More jobs will be offered, but at what price? Lower wages. (see employment changes @ http://stats.bls.gov/oco2003.htm) An increase in the number of unemployed will drive up the competition for...

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...ces, decrease habitats by grazing cattle and growing huge quantities of plants for our species to subsist on, have whole countries starve to death because there are too many people to feed, pollute the environment with the earth's billions of human inhabitants waste, enter into wars where the root cause is competition for living space, or even have such a high rate of homlessness and unemployment because there are too many people and not enough jobs.

So there you have it. My interpretation of the main cause of the world's problems. And you thought this was just an essay on immigration. As far as solutions for this problem go, I cannot hope to offer any advice on significantly reducing immigration or unemployment without suggesting we consider reducing the entire human population. How on earth will we be able to do that? Well, that is an entirely different essay.

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