L.A. Times: California’s economy is already getting hit by immigration raids

The Los Angeles Times published reporting documenting the harm already inflicted on California’s economy by federal immigration raids. From the article:

“Even as mass street arrests appear to have slowed, economists warn that continued disruptions could hobble many businesses that rely on immigrant labor. Even those not reliant could see ripple effects, as a lack of such labor disrupts productivity and delays projects, weighing on California’s gross domestic product and causing increases in food prices for the rest of the United States.”

“An analysis of U.S. census data from late May and early June by researchers with UC Merced’s Community and Labor Center found that the number of people reporting to work in the private sector in California decreased by 3.1% — a downturn so significant it is only recently matched by the period when people stayed home from work during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In the rest of the country, the number reporting to work in the private sector increased.”

“Further labor shortages in the construction industry, in which the workforce is 61% immigrant and 26% undocumented, will hinder wildfire recovery in Los Angeles and work on other critical infrastructure across the U.S., including levies, bridges and dams, Carrillo said. In California, major airport expansion projects are planned in Sacramento and Los Angeles, as well as new soccer stadiums and medical centers.”

Read the article: California’s economy is already getting hit by immigration raids