April 22, 2021 12:37PM
H-2A Visa Workers Likely Have a Lower Chance of Dying on the Job than Native‐Born American Workers SHARE
Guest workervisas are the best way to increase temporary migration of lower‐skilled workers in the current policy and political environment. Doing so has the additional benefit of reducing illegal immigration by channeling them into the legal system. More guest workers would also increase the scope and scale of economic activity in the United States to the benefit of Americans and migrants themselves. However, some claim that workers on H-2 visas suffer from lower wages, abuse, and work in dangerous conditions in exploitative situations made possible by bad regulations that empower employers at the expense of migrant workers.
On the Eve of the Pandemic: U.S. Migration at an All-Time Low
The most recent Census data on migration shows the continuation of a decades-long decline in migration in the United States, according to analysis by William H. Frey. December 27, 2020, 9am PST | James Brasuell |
The U.S. Census Bureau released a fresh batch of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement data, bringing the data current to the pandemic s doorstep. William H. Frey provides insight and analysis from the data dump, noting that the continuing trend of declining migration is likely to change in 2020 but there are no Census data to show those changes yet.
Abstract
Issue: Employer-based health insurance has become less affordable for many Americans over the past decade, with premium contributions and deductibles taking up a larger share of household income. As millions of workers lose income through furloughs and wage cuts, COVID-19 may exacerbate this trend. One proposed solution is to make it easier for workers and their families to enroll in subsidized health plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. Such a change would remove the current “firewall” between employer plans and marketplace coverage.
Goal: To analyze the potential effects of a proposal to allow more workers and their families to purchase ACA marketplace plans, both with the subsidies currently available and with more generous ones.