Careers
Briefs
Study: Immigrants actually
create more jobs for Americans
Stephon Johnson/New York Amsterdam
News/NNPA - Despite what many people think
about immigration and jobs in the United States,
immigrants may actually help create jobs, according
to a new study.
The study, "Immigrants and American Jobs," con
ducted by economist and pro
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behalf of . the American I
Enterprise Institute and the I
Partnership for a New I
American Economy, analyzed I
the relationship between the I
foreign-born workforce and?the I
employment rate for natural- I
born American workers. The I
report focused on two groups I
that policymakers and employ
ers call critical to the economy:
foreign-born adults with
advanced degrees and foreign workers here on tem
porary employment visas.
According to the study, in both cases, more for
eign-bom workers meant more jobs for Americans
with almost 262 more native-born workers employed
for every 100 foreign-bom workers with advanced
v, degrees who work in science, technology, engineer
ing or math, often referred to as the "STEM" fields.
The report also analyzed the fiscal impact of for
eign-born workers and found that, on average, all
immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in
benefits-particujarly highly educated immigrants.
"This report adds important evidence to the case
that economists have been making for years: that
identifiable categories of immigrants unquestionably
give a lift to native employment," said Zavodny, an
economics professor at Agnes Scott College. "But I
hope it's not just economists who take note-the study
offers insight for legislators who need to know what's
at stake in immigration policy."
Zavodny
Thomas Built rehires workers
High Point-based Thomas Built Buses recently
recalled 125 production line workers to rejoin7lhe
workforce. The increase in production capacity and
hiring comes in response to a strong order backlog
and company expectations for continued growth in
early 2012.
The sale of 12 Thomas Built buses, on average,
provides a job for
one person tor one
year, and the sale
of 1,000 buses pro
vides employment
for 83 people for a
year.
"It is very
refreshing to be
able to call back
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ers and sisters and give them good news," said John
Crawford, president of the United Auto Workers
Local 5287. "Together, the company and the union
have been working veryj hard to build an affordable,
quality product while at the same time providing
good paying jobs with great benefits. More local jobs
put more money back into the community and helps
to support small businesses in the area."
l^elley Piatt, president and CEO of Thomas Bifllt
Buses, says when the company is doing well, it caus
es a "ripple effect."
"We buy materials and parts from local suppliers,
which employ additional Carolinians," he said. "And
when we invest in our facilities, like our newest plant
built in 2003 and our more than $10 million remodel
of two other plants in 2007 and 2008, a large percent
age of those funds are funneled directly into the local
economy through purchased materials, contracted
labor and taxes."*
Thomas Built Buses utilizes more than 100 sup
pliers in North and South Carolina and, on average,
$28,000 of the purchase price of each Thomas feuilt
Saf-T-Liner C2 bus remains in the Carolinas.
Council for Women leader named
Secretary Moses Carey Jr. has announced his
appointment of Beth Briggs of Raleigh as executive
director of the N.C. Council for Women (CFW). A
member of the Council since her September 2010
appointment by Gov. Bev
Perdue, bnggs is founder and
president of Creative
Philanthropy Consulting Inc.
The CFW, which includes
the N.C. Domestic Violence
Commission, provides advo
cacy services for women and
graht resources through
Displaced Homemaker,
Domestic Violence and
Sexual Assault programs. Its
work and mission were
addressed by lawmakers during tne last session,
resulting in a reduced workforce and expanded grant
responsibilities
Briggs' professional experience includes serving
as president of the N.C. Public Television
Foundation; co-founder and president of the Capital
Consortium consulting firm; and director of develop
ment for both the U.S. Olympic Festival and the N.C.
Center for Public Policy Research. Shortly after grad
uating from the University of North Carolina with a
bachelor's degree in psychology, she launched her
career by serving as assistant director of the Public
Welfare Foundation in Washington, D.C, and later
became associate director of the Asheville
Community Foundation.
Briggs
Democrats deposit millions
in NC minority-owned banks
w
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT -
^ s
As a sign of its commitment to fostering eco
nomic opportunities for minorities - its most
loyal constituencies - the Democratic National
convention committee (uinccj last
week deposited S2 million in non
interest bearing accounts at both
black-owned Mechanics and Farmers
Bank and the Latino Community
Credit Union.
"The DNCC is working to bring
Americans together to strengthen the
economy in a way that creates more
opportunity for all communities," said
DNCC CEO .Steve Kerrigan. "The
funds deposited with Mechanics and
Farmers Bank and the Latino
Community Credit Union will help
these institutions expand lending and
economic development efforts to com
munities across the state." ?
DNCC officials were joined by
representatives from both North
Carolina-based financial institutions at
a press conference late last week at
one of Durham's most historic sites.
"The historic NortIT Carolina
Mutual Lite insurance buiiaing, tne
oldest and first African American-owned insur
ance company in the country, is a fitting back
drop for this announcement," Kerrigan said.
The announcements came months before the
start of the 2012 Democratic National
Conversion, which will be held in Charlotte from
Sept. 3-7. With each convention, the DNCC has
made a practice of depositing a portion of its fed
eral grant in minority-owned banks in the city
where the Democratic National Convention is
being held. The tradition aims to provide local
business institutions and their customers with
financial and public support in advance of the
convention.
"Mechanics, and Farmers Bank and
the Latino Community Credit Union are
strong community partners, and the
convention's investment in these banks
will make a difference where it matters
in the city of Durham and across the
state of North Carolina," said Durham
Mayor. Bill Bell. "We value the
DNCC's commitment to diversity in
choosing these two^institutions."
M&F and the LCCU have Branches
throughout the state, including in
Winston-Salem. M&F Ece&ident and
CEO Kim Saunders thanked the DNCC
for Choosing M&F.
"As one of North Carolina's select
few ? Community Development
Financial Institutions (CDFIs),
Mechanics and Farmers Bank plays a
critical role in expanding access to cap
ital and providing lending services to
North Carolina markets that traditional
ly have been underserved," she said.
LCCU Vice President for Finance
Alison Beck Yonas said the deposit will
be put to good use..
"It will continue to help us put deposits from
institutions and individuals to work to help
improve our local communities, through loans
for working families to own their own homes, to
build a credit history or to improve their
microbusiness," she said. "LCCU's presence has
been shown to reduce .crime and improve proper
ty values, for the benefit of all North
Carolinians."
Greensboro Mayor Robbie
Perkins,-, Greensboro City
Council Members James Kee
and Zack Matheny and
Guilford County
Commissioners Bruce Davis
and Kirk Perkins.
Malave, who will serve as
president for a year, succeeds
2011 President Kathleen
Sullivan, who has now
assumed the role of past pres
ident. She is a Realtor at
Greensboro's Prudential Yost
& Little Realty. Malave has
been a GRRA member for
more than 11 years. She has
been actively involved, either
as a GRRA Board member or
volunteer, since the begin
ning.
She has also represented
the interests of GRRA mem
bers and all Realtors as a
member of the N.C. Realtors
Association. Malave's NCRA
duties took her to both
Raleigh and Washington.
D.C., where she lobbied law
makers on behalf of Realtors.
The GRRA, located at 23
Oak Branch Drive, works to
support its members in their
business pursuits by promot
ing the highest professional
ethics and being the primary
provider for quality services,
education and real estate
information in the market
area.
Saunders
Kerrigan
Malave
takes
helm at
GRRA
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Greensboro Regional
Realtors Association (GRRA)
kicked off the new year with
the installation of a new pres
ident, Lolita Malave.
She officially became the
Association's leader Tuesday
at an installation luncheon.
The event *
was
expected
to feature
a slew of
-special
guests,
including
State Sen.
Don
Vaughan,
Malave
Paysour
Speech
New roles
for ESR
staffers
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Experiment in Self-Reliance
team is now a bit larger.
Sherri Paysour was recently named
the agency's Self-Siifficiency Program
Manager. She will oversee and coordi
nate ESR's flagship programs and
provide leadership.to staff and com
munity partners.
Paysour has^een an ESR employ
ee for two years. She came to the
agency from the Northwest Piedmont
Council of Governments, an ESR
workforce development partner
agency.
ESR has named Kindra Speech its
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Program Manager. She will oversee
the more than 100 volunteers that will
man nine tax preparation sites
throughout the community. Speech
has been with ESR since April of
2011.
ESR serves families who have suf
See ESR on AS
Dress for i
Success
PR New sFoto/K&G Fashion Superstore
Actor Blair Underwood is
branching out. Here, he is
in a a two-button, 100 per
cent wool-vested suit, it is
part of his BU Collection, a
premier line of men's tai
lored suits. Underwood's
threads are currently avail
able exclusively at K&G
Fashion Superstore, which
has stores throughout the
country, and on
KGstores.com.
?
Besse, Montgomery take NLC leadership posts
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT ^
Council Members Dan Besse and Derwin
Montgomery will play
aptiua rr\ lac in tKn
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National League of Cities.
Besse, who represents
the. city's Southwest
Ward, was elected to
NLC's Board of Directors
last November.
Montgomery was appoint
ed the Region 18 director .
for the NLC's National
Black Caucus of Local
Elected Officials, which
I represents the interests of NLC's African
See NLC on A5
Montgomery
Council Member Besse