Oklahoma unemployment is way down, why?

rob · #1 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 06:21 PM

Oklahoma Unemployment Is Way Down. Will Media Look into Why?

By Tom Blumer | April 22, 2008 - 10:05 ET

Oklahoma's unemployment rate, which was a seasonally adjusted 4.3% and 4.4%, respectively, in September and October 2007 (4.1% and 4.2% unadjusted), has fallen to a seasonally adjusted 3.1% in both February and March of this year (3.5% and 3.2% unadjusted).
The unemployment rate in most states has gone up from September 2007 to March 2008. In states where the rate has gone down, none has shown an improvement like that seen in the Sooner State -- not even close.
Why is that?
What has happened in Oklahoma that hasn't happened elsewhere?
Well, one thing Oklahoma did last year was to pass an enforcement-focused immigration reform law.
It did so in May, and it took effect in November. Here is how One News Now described the bill at the time it was signed by the state's governor (original link no longer available):
House Bill 1804 was passed by overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate of the Oklahoma Legislature. The measure’s sponsor, State Representative Randy Terrill, says the bill has four main topical areas: it deals with identity theft; it terminates public assistance benefits to illegals; it empowers state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws; and it punishes employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.
Oklahoma is no longer “O.K.” for illegal aliens, Terrill observes. “When you put everything together in context,” he contends, “the bottom line is illegal aliens will not come here if there are no jobs waiting for them, they will not stay here if there is no government subsidy, and they certainly won’t stay here if they know that if they ever encounter our state and local law enforcement officers, they will be physically detained until they’re deported. And that’s exactly what House Bill 1804 does.”
The Oklahoma legislator is pleased the bill he sponsored into law was signed by Governor Henry and believes it will go a long way to curb the illegal immigration problem in the state.

It seems reasonable to ask if the law has accomplished the intended curbing of illegal immigration. This January 9 USA Today article by Emily Bazar ("Strict immigration law rattles Okla. businesses") indicates that it has -- not that Bazar thinks that this is a good thing.
The next question to ask would be whether citizens have taken jobs that illegals used to do. Though the lower unemployment rate doesn't in and of itself prove that, it does point strongly in that direction.
The improving employment situation in the state has received sparse coverage, and the only two relevant stories I found (here and here) did not attempt to explain why it's happening.
Will anyone in Old Media dig more deeply into the Sooner State's situation? Or will they try to pretend that Oklahoma's improvement doesn't exist, because finding out why might expose some inconvenient truths, and hurt the cause of illegal-immigrant "amnesty"?

Teak · #2 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 07:36 PM

OK. and AZ. passed laws that drove the illegals out, many of them going to Texas. Now Texana are starting to show concern.

Immigration, Traffic Top Houston Concerns - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston

rob · #3 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teak

OK. and AZ. passed laws that drove the illegals out, many of them going to Texas. Now Texana are starting to show concern.

Immigration, Traffic Top Houston Concerns - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston

It is a shame that states have to pass these types of laws because the Feds refuse to do anything.

Teak · #4 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob

It is a shame that states have to pass these types of laws because the Feds refuse to do anything.

How true. But after fighting this problem for over 25 years, I'm just glad to see someone finally doing something.

rob · #5 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teak

How true. But after fighting this problem for over 25 years, I'm just glad to see someone finally doing something.

I agree that it is good to see that something is being done, but it has been a problem for at least 40 years in the border states.

oceanbreeze · #6 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob

I agree that it is good to see that something is being done, but it has been a problem for at least 40 years in the border states.

Now they will go North and the rest of the US will see what a real problem it acutally is.

noneof yourbusiness · #7 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:52 AM

Cause those evil Mexicans took all your jobs......

Clay · #8 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 07:22 AM

This wasn't exactly the dire consequences forcast by the pro illegal open border lobby crowd hired by the employers of illegals was it? One would obviously expect the lucrative profits of the employers of illegals to be way down, and one would obviously expect the unemployment rate to improve as the employers of illegals were FORCED to break down and pay higher wages and hire some unemployed fellow Americans.

Clay · #9 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noneof yourbusiness

Cause those evil Mexicans took all your jobs......

Are ALL of your 9923 posts as irrelevent as this one?

TakuanSoho · #10 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noneof yourbusiness

Cause those evil Mexicans took all your jobs......

No, they didn't "take all the jobs", but they have depressed wages for many lower to lower middle workers in the US.

Not racist to point out simple economic facts.