Maintaining its Fox News like attack on pension programs, the Washington Post had a front page article about Japan's efforts to keep immigrant workers. It goes on to warn about how it will need many more immigrants in the future because of its declining population. Actually, because of something that economists call "productivity growth," Japan can count on continuing improvements in its standard of living even without immigration. In fact, since it is a densely populated country, it is possible that its standard of living will actually increase more rapidly in the absence of immigration.
--Dean Baker
