The Migration and labour question

Lessons from the Mexico-US corridor

Raúl Delgado Wise

1. The new imperialism: morphology of neoliberal capitalism

The new migration: forced population displacements

Towards a N-S balance: evidence from the US-Mexico migration corridor

1. Beyond the dominant perspective on M-D & HR: critical topics for an alternative agenda

Content

Neoliberal Capitalism

The re-launching of Imperialism. Global networks of monopoly capital (66 million workers in the S).

The restructuring of innovation systems. Scientific & technologic outsourcing from the global South

Co

nte

xt

Labour precariousness

Gigantic global reserve army (1.9 billion)

Majority of labour in vulnerable conditions (1.7 billion)

Overwhelming poverty among workers (900 million)

204 million unemployed; 75 million of youth unemployed (15-24 years)

The

lab

ou

r q

ues

tio

n

Morphology of the working class

The new proletariat

The creation of a vulnerable proletariat attached to the global networks of monopoly capital

The covert proletarization of the scientific and technological labourer

The real or disguised proletarization of the peasantry

The expansion of overpopulation and the proliferation of pauperism + the lumpenproletariat

The sub-proletarization of forced migrants

The

lab

ou

r q

ues

tio

n

Unequal Development

Deepening asymmetries between countries and regions

Increase in social inequalities

Alt

ern

ativ

e Fr

amew

ork

The mechanism: Structural adjustment programs

New International Division of labour: Labour exportation: Indirect or disembodied (Global Commodity

Chains) 66 million workersMigration 72 million workers

New modalities of unequal exchange

Reinsertion of the Periphery

Un

equ

al d

evel

op

men

t

Forced migration in the shadow of the NIDL

Expulsion processes triggered by the dismantling of the production apparatus in the South.

Restrictions to the mobility (criminalization) of migrant workforce, which depreciates it and subjects it to conditions of high vulnerability, social exclusion, precariousness and extreme exploitation.

Un

equ

al d

evel

op

men

t

Categories of Forced Migration

Migration due to violence, conflict and catastrophe (16.5 million refugees)

Smuggling and trafficking of persons (2.45 million)

Migration due to dispossession, exclusion, and unemployment (72 million + internal migration)

Migration due to over-qualification and lack of opportunities

Un

equ

al d

evel

op

men

t

US: Latin American Immigrants, 2009

Source: SIMDE, based on CPS March supplement

38

42

60

74

98

118

164

164

174

350

358

378

381

447

546

705

796

1,066

1,101

11,869

Paraguay

Uruguay

Bolivia

Costa Rica

Chile

Panamá

Venezuela

Argentina

Nicaragua

Brazil

Peru

Haití

Ecuador

Honduras

Colombia

Guatemala

Rep. Dominicana

Cuba

El Salvador

México

Thousands

US: Mexican Immigrants, 2009

Source: SIMDE, based on CPS March supplementSource: SIMDE, UAZ. Estiimations based on U. S. Census Bureau, 5 percent sample, 1990 and American

Community Survey , 2009.

US: Growth of Mexican Immigrants

Source: Compilation from Decennial Censuses, 1850-1990; Pew Hispanic Center, 1994-2010

(Passel & Cohn 2011).

.013.024

.042.068

.078 .641.576

.454.377

.486.222

6.7

4.5

9.5

2.2

.103

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

18401850

18601870

18801890

19001910

19201930

19401950

19601970

19801990

20002010

Millions

12,400,000(2010 CPS--Adjusted)

US: Annual Flow of Mexican Immigrants

370

570

670

150

150

760

260

0

200

400

600

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

89%

90%

91%

92%

93%

94%

95%

96%

Source: Passel, Pew Hispanic Center, based on American Community Survey and CPS

Decline Rise

Mexico-U.S.Migration

U.S.Employment

Rate

Growing asymmetries US-Mexico 2000-2008

Ro

ot

Cau

ses

Source: SIMDE, Productivity Index, estimation based on OECD Statistics, 1995-2009; Emigration rate, estimations based on CPS, March Supplement, 1995 to 2009, and CONAPO.

Labor market imbalances 2000-2008R

oo

t C

ause

s

Deficit in US

6.7 Millions

Superavit in

Mexico

6.0 millions

Sources: SIMDE, US deficit: estimation based on CPS, March Supplement, 2000 and 2008; Latin

America superavit: estimation based on CPS, March Supplement, 2000 and 2008; and

CEPALSTAT, Estadísticas de Empleo para América Latina, 2000-2008.

Demographic growth rates in the US, 2000-2008

Source: SIMDE, based on CPS, March supplements

Imp

licat

ion

s fo

r d

esti

nat

ion

Sources: SIMDE based on CEPALSTAT, Estadísticas de América Latina y el Caribe; and

US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March Supplement, 2000 and 2008.

Imp

licat

ion

s fo

r o

rigi

nDemographic dividend export to the US, 2000-2008

Contribution to US GDP Growth 2000-2007

All

Immigrants

31.7%

Sources: SIMDE, estimation based on US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Domestic Product by Industry

Accounts, 1995 a 2007, and US Bureau of Census, CPS, March supplement, 1995 to 2007.

Imp

licat

ion

sfo

r de

stination

US: Wage transferences 2005-2007

Sources: SIMDE, estimation based on the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Gross Domestic Product by Industry Accounts, 2000 to 2007, and US Bureau of Census, CPS, March Supplement, 2000 to 2007.

Imp

licat

ion

sfo

r d

esti

nat

ion

Source: SIMDE

Contributions of Mexicans to the US Treasury

13,73915,980

20,517

26,367

35,68340,683

46,905

52,799

1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Direct and Indirect Taxes

Million US dollars

Source: SIMDE based on US Bureau of Census, CPS, March

Supplement, 1994-2008

Imp

licat

ion

s fo

r d

esti

nat

ion

Ratio between taxes to benefits received from

public social services in the US (2008)

Source: SIMDE based on US Bureau of Census, CPS, March Supplement, 2008

Imp

licat

ion

s fo

r d

esti

nat

ion

1.4

1.2

0.50.4

0.2

Natives Immigrants dev. countries

Immigrants south

Mexican immigrants

Undocumented immigrants

US: Immigrant’s direct taxes contributions (2008)

Source: SIMDE based on US Bureau of Census, CPS, March Supplement, 2008

Imp

licat

ion

s fo

r d

esti

nat

ion

18.2%

23.5%

Contribution to social security from immigrants' direct labor taxes

Contribution to pensions from immigrants' direct labor taxes

Source: SIMDE, based on CPS (1994-2008); CONEVAL , Poverty Lines in Mexico and

Educational Statistics Yearbook in Mexico, 2008.

Cost of emigration for Mexico vs

Remittances, 1994-2008

Billion US dollars

Imp

licat

ion

s fo

r o

rigi

n

340

185

Building a social transformation agent

Strategic vision: gaining social consciousness regarding the need to engage in a broad social transformation process

Consolidation of participatory, democratic and organizational structures that can effectively and creatively gain power to struggle for a new world order based on sustainable and equitable development, as well as justice and equality for all workers – both migrants and non-migrants – and their communities

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Towards a strategic alliance: academia, social movements & social organizations

Strategic platform A-SO&M for social transformation

Collective knowledge and intelligentia at the service of the working class

Effective networking and an alternative research agenda

New generations of working class (organic) intellectuals

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