"We as a state need a legal workforce and we can only get a solution through federal comprehensive reform. Piece by piece or state by state only makes a solution more difficult and confusing." - Bill Perry, Oregon Restaurant Association
(WILSONVILLE, Ore.) - The Coalition for a Working Oregon released a study on July 9th predicting a considerable loss of economic output if the federal "No-Match" rule is implemented.
Conducted by William Jaeger, Ph. D., Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Oregon State University, the study details the consequences of the "No-Match" rule, a federal regulation designed to identify undocumented workers in the U.S. Under the "No-Match" rule, if a worker's social security number is questioned by the Department of Homeland Security, he or she must provide proper work authorization by a predetermined date. If the employee cannot provide proper authorization, the employer must release the employee or face penalties.
"In the long-term, the study suggests that we could be looking at a loss of 147,000 jobs, an annual reduction in state output of up to $14.7 billion, a tax loss of $656 million and an overall economic loss of $7.2 billion," says Dr. Jaeger.
The study, entitled Potential Economic Impacts in Oregon of Implementing Proposed Department of Homeland Security "No Match" Immigration Rules, concludes that eliminating undocumented workers will not reduce the number of unemployed in Oregon. (See: Immigration Reform - Business Begins to Find its Voice
Bill Perry, Oregon Restaurant Association's vice president of government affairs, co-chairs the CWO, a coalition consisting of 20 Oregon business associations whose industries employ more than 300,000. Perry says the data found in the study should be helpful to build support for comprehensive reform.
"These workers are an important part of our community and economy," says Perry. "We as a state need a legal workforce and we can only get a solution through federal comprehensive reform. Piece by piece or state by state only makes a solution more difficult and confusing."
For more information on the Coalition for a Working Oregon, visit oregoncanwork.org or call (503) 796-3013.
Source: The Oregon Restaurant Association
Immigration Study Released by Coalition for a Working OregonSalem-News.com