Americans are more likely to believe that immigration hurts U.S. workers instead of helping them, and their views are hardening along party lines, new research shows.
A report by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center released Thursday found that 45% of adults say the growing number of immigrants working in the U.S. hurts workers, while 42% say having more immigrants helps workers. The survey of about 5,000 adults was conducted from late May to late June.
Despite the plurality of negative views, the survey shows that Americans have grown more positive about immigrants’ impact on workers over the last decade, a period when immigration to the U.S. dipped. When Pew asked the question in 2006, 55% of respondents said immigration hurt workers, compared with 28% who said immigration helped workers.
