Most in Calif. go to immigrants, data show
BY GARANCE BURKE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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VISALIA, Calif. -- It's a question rekindled by the recession: Are immigrants taking jobs from American citizens? In the heart of the nation's biggest farming state, the answer is a resounding no.
Government data analyzed by the Associated Press show most Americans simply don't apply to harvest fruits and vegetables.
And the few Americans who do usually don't stay in the fields.
"It's just not something that most Americans are going to pack up their bags and move here to do," said farmer Steve Fortin, who pays $10.25 an hour to foreign workers to trim strawberry plants at his nursery near the Nevada border.
The AP analysis showed that, from January to June, California farmers posted ads for 1,160 farm worker positions open to U.S. citizens and legal residents.
But only 233 people in those categories applied after learning of the jobs through unemployment offices in California , Texas, Nevada and Arizona.
One grower brought on 36. No one else hired any. Read More
Regardless of your position on immigration, the bigger story here is that many people don’t want to work even when jobs are available. Unfortunately, many people don’t develop a work ethic and would rather rely on the government for an unemployment check. It’s a rather sad commentary on our society.
4 comments:
Hi Troy thanks for sharing this story. I also read it yesterday and was thinking about it last night. Farm jobs mean long work days along with tough and ugly work at times. But it is more fulfilling work than people will ever know if they don't try. It is disappointing to read people would rather collect an unemployment check from our government than find reward and return in farm work.
Katie from ND
It also suggests we oughto be thanking those Mexicans for crossing our border to do such hard work and keep our food prices low, right? Keep telling the immigrants' story and spreading the word about how immigrant labor feeds America!
i like this site
It's just not something that most Americans are going to pack up their bags and move here to do," said farmer Steve Fortin, who pays $10.25 an hour to foreign workers to trim strawberry plants at his nursery near the Nevada border.
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