August 2023 didn’t just mark the end of summer; it also signaled a seismic shift in the U.S. job market. In a staggering display of changing tides, 1.2 million native-born Americans were ousted from their jobs while nearly 700,000 foreign-born individuals found employment. These numbers aren’t just digits on a screen; they’re revealing a transformation in America’s labor landscape under the Biden administration. It’s a narrative that suggests Joe Biden’s border policies are in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s more stringent stances.
The Data
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between July and August, the native-born workforce shrunk by a jaw-dropping 1.223 million. To give you a sense of scale, this drop parallels the job loss crisis of April 2020, when COVID-19 first rattled the economy. This figure defies the expected lull in summer employment, historically considered a low-employment season.
Foreign-Born Numbers Skyrocket
On the flip side, 688,000 foreign-born workers secured jobs in the same period, making it the most significant July-to-August surge in a decade. This isn’t just a one-off event. Since January 2023, the number of foreign-born employees has been steadily increasing, from 28.69 million to over 30 million in August.
The Context Matters
This isn’t merely about fluctuating employment rates. The backdrop is critical. These numbers come at a time when Biden has relaxed border controls, marking an eight-fold increase in foreign workforce participation since 2023, compared to Trump-era figures. During Trump’s tenure from 2017 to 2019, the foreign-born workforce increased by just 752,000. In contrast, Biden’s policies have contributed to a growth of 3.943 million foreign-born workers from 2021 to 2023.
No Real Growth for Native Workers
This shift begs a critical question: where does this leave native-born workers? Employment among this group had been gradually rebounding, with the figures increasing from 130 million in January to 132.25 million in July. However, these gains have been almost entirely negated by the recent loss of 1.223 million jobs, effectively resulting in a net-zero increase in native-born employment since the pandemic-induced crash.
The Economic Angle
Although the economy appears to be adding jobs, the pace of job growth is notably slower than before, averaging just 150,000 jobs over the last three months. This is the lowest reading since late 2019, making Federal Reserve officials uneasy about the labor market’s “clear cooling.”
Quo Vadis, Job Market?
The tectonic shifts in employment figures aren’t merely statistical anomalies. They represent a divergence in policy approaches between the Biden and Trump administrations and raise poignant questions about the future of American labor. Is the U.S. ready for this labor turnover, especially when the unemployment rate stands at 3.8%, a figure well below post-World War II norms? And if the Fed hopes to cool the labor market without causing recession, as former Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren suggested, is this mass exodus of native-born workers from the labor force the answer?
To Conclude
The great job swap of August 2023 has blown the cover off the ongoing transformation in the American job market, where native-born workers are increasingly finding themselves on the sidelines. The nation now stands at a critical junction, making the policies adopted in the coming months pivotal in shaping the future of employment in America.
