Immigrants not hurting US workers

WASHINGTON -- Big increases in immigration since 1990 have not hurt employment prospects for American workers, according to a study released yesterday.

The report comes as Congress and much of the nation are debating immigration policy, a big issue in this fall's midterm congressional elections.

The Pew Hispanic Center found no evidence that immigration increases led to higher unemployment among Americans, said Rakesh Kochhar, the author of the study.

Kochhar said other factors, such as economic growth, played a larger role than immigration in the job market for Americans.

Kochhar cautioned that immigration could affect job markets in some local areas, but the study found no national trends supporting a link.

States with big increases in immigration were just as likely to have low unemployment as states with little immigration, he said.

``We cannot say with certainty that the growth in the foreign-born population has either hurt or helped" the job market, Kochhar said.

The study, however, did not look at whether wages were affected by immigration. Advocates for tighter immigration policies argue that immigrant workers depress wages for American workers, especially those with few skills and little education.

Immigration supporters argue that foreign workers often take jobs that Americans don't want and won't take.