In this episode, Maurice and Vijaya tackle the latest election cycle rhetoric on immigration, the impact of immigration on wages, the difference in labor force participation rates between native-born and foreign-born workers, and more. They also discuss Vijaya’s data snapshot, published on the Hughes Center’s website in June, which analyzes immigrant workers’ role in the New Jersey economy.

“There is a big gap between the perception and the rhetoric around immigration and how the economy actually absorbs immigrants,” Vijaya said. “So, we dig into some of the economic numbers and see if we can address some of the misplaced anxieties.”

Other episodes released so far include a re-release of a previously recorded conversation on offshore wind energy with Stockton Professor of Sustainability Patrick Hossay and a special edition episode recapping September’s “Hughes Center Conversation” with Peter Baker, the chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times.

New episodes will be released monthly with more election-related topics to come. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts. “Hughes Center Conversations” can be found on all major podcast platforms or on Stockton.edu/HughesCenter.

The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University serves as a catalyst for research, analysis and innovative policy solutions on the economic, social and cultural issues facing New Jersey, and promotes the civic life of New Jersey through engagement, education and research. The center is named for the late William J. Hughes, whose distinguished career includes service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ambassador to Panama and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Stockton.

Stockton University is ranked among the top public universities in the nation. Our nearly 9,000 students can choose to live and learn on the 1,600-acre wooded main campus in the Pinelands National Reserve in South Jersey and at our coastal residential campus just steps from the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The university offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs.