Unemployment in Mexico was just 4.9 percent in June, the latest available data. That figure could be significantly higher if the United States enforced its immigration laws.
There are an estimated 11.7 million illegal immigrants in the United States with about 52 percent of that number believed to come from Mexico. An unusually high percentage of the illegal immigrant population is of working age.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 80 percent of immigrants were between the ages 18 of 64 while 60 percent of the native-born population is in that age group.
Full deportation, a policy that is impossible, could return 4.9 million working-age adults to Mexico. In June, there were 2.5 million
unemployed in Mexico and just fewer than 50 million jobs.
Full deportation could increase Mexico’s unemployment rate to 13 percent.
The disproportionate number of working age illegal immigrants in the United States indicates these individuals left their home country in pursuit of employment. While the decrease in unemployment is most likely welcome news to Mexican politicians, the country could suffer in the long term as the economy is robbed of the future output of millions of workers who left.
Illegal immigration is a multi-faceted problem. Mexico’s economy looks stronger than it is in the short term as unemployment remains low because millions of workers are, in effect, exported.
But Mexico suffers in the long term because of this loss. The U.S. economy suffers because undocumented workers carry costs in many ways.
The best solution for everyone could be to make and enforce well-designed laws.