Analysis or Argument
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
“The inflow of immigrant workers into our community has put a downward pressure on wages. In fact, the average compensation of unskilled labor in our city has declined by nearly 10% over the past 5 years. Therefore, to protect our local economy, it is essential to impose a moratorium on further immigration.”
The editor relates the decline in the compensation of the unskilled labor to the inflow of the immigrant workers. He concludes that imposing moratorium on immigration can protect the local economy. However, the conclusion rests on many unsubstantiated assumptions which make the conclusion untenable.
To begin with, the editor unfairly relates the downward pressure on wages to the inflow of immigrant workers. The author overlooks the possibility that the reduction in the wages may be because of some other economic factors. Perhaps, the industries of the community are going through a rough patch, or the industries are not able to compete with the other communities' industries, which may be dominating the local market. To bolster the conclusion, the author needs to provide the evidence that no other economic factors are affecting the wages of the workers. Without any such information, the conclusion is not persuasive enough.
Further, the fact that the average compensation of the unskilled labor has declined by nearly 10% offers no support to the argument. There is no evidence to prove that the immigrant workers are unskilled labor. It is possible that the most of the immigrant workers are high skilled or the number of unskilled immigrants is negligible compared to the local labor, and thus offer no competition to the unskilled labor. Again, there is no evidence to prove that the immigrant workers are successful in getting the jobs. Perhaps, the local laws may not allow the immigrants to work in most of the industries. In order to relate this fact to the author's conclusion, I need to know the number of the skilled and unskilled immigrant workers, and the data on the number of immigrants employed in the local industries.
Finally, the author assumes that the moratorium on immigration will protect the economy. It is possible that the industries are offering the jobs to immigrants because they are more skilled and more efficient than the local workers. Also, there may be certain industries which need certain skills which the local laborers do not possess. Or there may be certain industries where many local workers hesitate or show disinterest to work for several reasons. In this case, imposing moratorium on the immigration may turn out to be a bad advice and affect the economy badly. The editor should provide the data on the skill set of the local workers and the requirements of the local industries to help me evaluate the conclusion.
In essence, the conclusion depends on various unsubstantiated assumptions. To bolster the conclusion, the author should provide information - local factors affecting wages, the numbers of skilled and unskilled immigrant workers, and the relation between the skill sets of the local workers and the requirements of the local economy. In the absence of the above information, the conclusion can not be drawn from the given fact.
The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper:
“The inflow of immigrant workers into our community has put a downward pressure on wages. In fact, the average compensation of unskilled labor in our city has declined by nearly 10% over the past 5 years. Therefore, to protect our local economy, it is essential to impose a moratorium on further immigration.”
The editor relates the decline in the compensation of the unskilled labor to the inflow of the immigrant workers. He concludes that imposing moratorium on immigration can protect the local economy. However, the conclusion rests on many unsubstantiated assumptions which make the conclusion untenable.
To begin with, the editor unfairly relates the downward pressure on wages to the inflow of immigrant workers. The author overlooks the possibility that the reduction in the wages may be because of some other economic factors. Perhaps, the industries of the community are going through a rough patch, or the industries are not able to compete with the other communities' industries, which may be dominating the local market. To bolster the conclusion, the author needs to provide the evidence that no other economic factors are affecting the wages of the workers. Without any such information, the conclusion is not persuasive enough.
Further, the fact that the average compensation of the unskilled labor has declined by nearly 10% offers no support to the argument. There is no evidence to prove that the immigrant workers are unskilled labor. It is possible that the most of the immigrant workers are high skilled or the number of unskilled immigrants is negligible compared to the local labor, and thus offer no competition to the unskilled labor. Again, there is no evidence to prove that the immigrant workers are successful in getting the jobs. Perhaps, the local laws may not allow the immigrants to work in most of the industries. In order to relate this fact to the author's conclusion, I need to know the number of the skilled and unskilled immigrant workers, and the data on the number of immigrants employed in the local industries.
Finally, the author assumes that the moratorium on immigration will protect the economy. It is possible that the industries are offering the jobs to immigrants because they are more skilled and more efficient than the local workers. Also, there may be certain industries which need certain skills which the local laborers do not possess. Or there may be certain industries where many local workers hesitate or show disinterest to work for several reasons. In this case, imposing moratorium on the immigration may turn out to be a bad advice and affect the economy badly. The editor should provide the data on the skill set of the local workers and the requirements of the local industries to help me evaluate the conclusion.
In essence, the conclusion depends on various unsubstantiated assumptions. To bolster the conclusion, the author should provide information - local factors affecting wages, the numbers of skilled and unskilled immigrant workers, and the relation between the skill sets of the local workers and the requirements of the local economy. In the absence of the above information, the conclusion can not be drawn from the given fact.
