Debunking a Common Myth: Are There Really "Jobs Americans Won't Do"?

A persistent argument in immigration debates centers on the idea that immigrant labor is “essential” because immigrants take on jobs that native-born Americans are simply unwilling to do. However, a detailed analysis of U.S. workforce data by Jason Richwine at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) challenges this widely held belief, suggesting the narrative doesn't align with the reality of the labor market.

The report, titled "Jobs Americans Will Do — Just About All of Them," dives deep into the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data (from 2019-2023). The findings are striking: native-born Americans constitute the majority of workers in an overwhelming 520 out of 525 civilian occupations. This includes many roles often stereotyped as being primarily filled by immigrants. For instance, the data reveals that native-born Americans make up 51 percent of maids and housekeepers, 61 percent of construction laborers, 61 percent of home health aides, 66 percent of landscaping workers, and 71 percent of janitors.

Even in the handful of occupations where immigrants do form the majority—the report specifically highlights roles like manicurists and pedicurists (over 60 percent immigrant)—native-born workers still represent a significant portion, making up 40 percent of the workforce in those fields. The report further notes that in metropolitan areas with lower levels of immigration, the presence of native-born workers in these types of jobs is even stronger, reinforcing the idea that natives are, indeed, willing to perform this work.

So, why does the "jobs Americans won't do" narrative persist? Richwine argues that the issue is often not about the nature of the work itself, but about the wages offered. When employers say they face "labor shortages" or that Americans avoid certain jobs, the underlying issue may be an unwillingness to offer wages high enough to attract native workers. Richwine contends that in the absence of a large pool of immigrant labor willing to accept lower pay, market forces would likely cause wages for these positions to rise. Higher wages would, in turn, make these jobs more appealing to the native-born population, naturally filling the demand.

Ultimately, Richwine concludes that the argument for immigration based on the necessity of filling "unwanted" jobs is not supported by empirical data. The evidence indicates that native-born Americans are present, often in large numbers, across nearly the entire spectrum of occupations. The debate might be less about Americans' willingness to work and more about the wages employers are willing to pay.

We at IAP agree and will work to ensure that Congress and the White House consider this when approaching reconciliation, appropriations, and future immigration legislation.

Immigration News

US Supreme Court temporarily blocks deportations of Venezuelan migrants under wartime law
You may have noticed that the press coverage on the “Maryland Man” who was an illegal alien from El Salvador with a troubling connection to MS-13 has subsided a bit. This could be because of additional facts coming to light, including this bombshell DHS report, which suggests he may have been involved in human smuggling, or the fact that Democratic Members of Congress (some of whom vowed to stay in El Salvador until he was released) have returned to the United States empty handed. Regardless, the fight over President Trump’s various methods of enforcement of immigration law continues in the courts. At nearly 1:00 a.m. last Saturday morning, the Supreme Court issued an order that has the effect of temporarily blocking the President from removing Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. You can read about that ruling in the Reuters article above, but if you’d like a deep dive into the procedural history surrounding the President’s crackdown on the Venezuelan gang, see this excellent breakdown from Art Arthur at CIS.

The Left’s Sudden Crusade For ‘Due Process’ Is A Political Smokescreen To Defend Mass Migration
Democrats have unified behind a new message to respond to President Trump’s deportation efforts after the less-than-positive response to Senator Van Hollen’s “Margarita-gate”: “Due process.” As Sen. Van Hollen said on Fox News, “I’m not vouching for the man. I am vouching for the man’s rights, his constitutional rights to due process.” This is certainly a safer path than advocating for gang members or domestic abusers. And who doesn’t want due process? Well, this article from Brianna Lyman at The Federalist explains how this is a “political smokescreen” designed to bog down the legal system and stop deportations altogether. 

Noem, DHS outline next step to speed up deportation process
This week, DHS Secretary Noem announced updates that are being made to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which allows government officials, including state government officials, to check an individual’s immigration status or citizenship. According to DHS, their effort “eliminates fees for database searches, breaks down silos for accurate results, streamlines mass status checks, and integrates criminal records, immigration timelines, and addresses… Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, this revamped SAVE system will ensure government officials can swiftly verify legal status, halting entitlements and voter fraud.” The improved SAVE database could be a game changer for state Secretaries of State who want to verify the U.S. citizenship status of the people on their voter rolls.

Amnesty By Another Name
To close out the week, we want to leave you with this article by the Claremont Institute’s Jeremy Carl in The American Mind. Carl is writing in response to a Harvard professor’s recent calls for amnesty for illegal aliens, and details how past amnesties have failed to curb illegal immigration, potentially depressing wages, creating societal divisions, and shifting the electorate towards more liberal policies.

DEVELOPING: A few major stories are breaking as we are drafting this newsletter:

Trump administration reverses abrupt terminations of foreign students’ U.S. visa registrations
Judge Hannah Dugan arrested by FBI for allegedly helping undocumented immigrant 'evade arrest'

Next Week

The House and Senate are back to work next week, and the House has announced that committees will begin marking up their pieces of the reconciliation bill. We expect to get a better sense of what immigration provisions will be included in reconciliation in the coming days. Stay tuned for an eventful week, as we provide live updates on X.