Guestworkers: Lessons from Western Europe

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Abstract
This article appraises the postwar guestworker programs in France, Switzerland, and the Federal Republic of Germany in light of the proposal that a similar program be adopted in the United States. The authors agree that these programs provided significant short-term economic benefits in meeting the labor shortages experienced in Western Europe until recently. These programs also created several serious problems, however, leading the authors to conclude that a large-scale American temporary worker program (1) may reduce but not end illegal immigration; (2) will evolve into a resident, not short-term, worker program; (3) is likely to produce discrimination against migrant workers; (4) will not improve U.S. relations with labor-source countries; and (5) will exacerbate the employment problems of American minorities.

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