Surprise! Georgia has a farm labor shortage after banning illegals from working

They aren't paying enough.

8 bucks an hour is not a fair wage for that job. this shortage will drive up wages and get people what they deserve to be paid for the work they are doing.

 

That would be great if it happens.

 

Like the article says it has to happen on a national level, not a state level.Federal government is screwing us over again.

 

So you're saying the minimum wage should be higher? I agree if so.

 

Uhhh no. i am saying the labor market is showing in georgia that legal workers are unwilling to work that job for 8 bucks.

The federal government should apply the same laws georgia is to level the playing field and not punish georgia farms for actually enforcing the law.

 

The margins in farming don't really allow for them to pay these guys that much. It's already heavily subsidized as is when they are able to hire illegals.

 

Not in the farms they are talking about. You don't often hear people complaining about the massive blueberry or strawberry subsidy.

 

The only way a nationwide thing like this will work is if the EMPLOYERS are fined - they employers are easy to find and few in number, the illegals are not.

It's the only practical solution. One can idealistically insist that illegal immigrants are the problem and should be punished (and I'd agree), but that's not a workable perspective.

 

Sure, just use the same system Georgia is using. Seems to be working.

 

This. Is. Awesome.

 

Of course, that will also drive up food prices and inflation, and with real wages as stagnated as they are, will do nothing for economic growth and may even negatively affect it.

Aside, I love it how Republicans preach free markets but have no trouble embracing protectionism when it suits their rhetoric. And then they wonder why the same free market they so freely preach is exporting production abroad due to their own protectionist policies.

Ideology over pragmatism. The intractable poison that will eventually destroy the American empire.

 

10% unemployment and you can't get people for a purely manual labor job?

I guess they would rather collect unemployment checks.

 

Food prices as in strawberries and blueberries? Mark me down as unconcerned.

i will assume u are calling me a republican so I will respond to that as well. All georgia did here was say, you have to confirm that the person you are hiring is legal to work. Following labor laws is important. Do you want poor people to get poorer? Illegal immigrants lower wages, or keep those wages from increasing. It is a fact.

If you needed money really bad and had to take a sub $10/hr job would you get one where you worked super hard outside, or a cashier job? I would work fast food before I did ag work for 8 bucks an hour. Illegals don't have that option.

 

I have no idea how you got that from---

I mean, I guess blueberries is in there, but huh.

anyways, make it an easier and more transparent system to allow illegals in as legal migrants. Practice what you preach with the "free market" gospel---full mobility of capital AND full mobility of labor.

 

strawberries are typically harvested by hand and thus a common thing for illegals to harvest. JeopardE mentioned a maco scenario so i mentioned strawberries.

 

I know some legal workers that do the job. They actually get paid $7/hr under the table. Though I have no doubt about the large number of illegals also working on these farms. I just find it amazing how many jobs are actually available when so many are still drawing unemployment. If farms weren't already circumventing legal payrolls, there would have been a bigger problem for them when the minimum wage went up.

Seems like most of the farms around me charge us to go pick our own damn strawberries and blueberries.

 

I don't eat peaches so aint no thing for me.

 

The real solutions are either A. keep allowing farmers like this to exploit people who are forced to take their crap wages B. force them to pay a wage people are willing to work for.

Illegals don't have a choice, they have to take work like this.