Americans believe imports and outsourcing jobs to foreign companies are the largest threats to U.S. workers, followed by the threat of too many temporary workers brought in through legal immigration channels according to a recent Pew Research Center.

Eighty percent of Americans contacted by Pew said increased outsourcing of jobs to workplaces in foreign nations is a threat to U.S. workers. Only 15 percent of respondents thought outsourcing helps U.S. workers.

[lz_jwplayer video=8oueYqGm]

Coming in second are imports. Pew found 77 percent of respondents believe more foreign-made products being sold in the United States hurts U.S. workers. Only 22 percent of respondents thought imports help U.S. workers.

The Pew release comes at a time when Americans are more skeptical than ever of massive free trade pacts like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and are demanding increased scrutiny on the nation’s legal immigration system and programs like the H1B visa.

57 percent of Americans were concerned about the jobs impact of too many temporary workers.

[lz_table title=”Top importers to U.S.” source=”Census Bureau”]

|Nations Accounting for Largest Share of U.S. Imports, August 2016
China, 16.6%
Canada, 14.9%
Mexico, 12.4%
Japan, 5.3%
Germany, 4.5%
South Korea, 3.0%
United Kingdom, 2.9%
[/lz_table]

On the other hand, only 49 percent of Americans thought the decline of unions hurts U.S. workers and respondents were evenly divided 50-50 over whether automation negatively impacts the American workforce.

 

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Pew conducted the research from May 25 through June 29.

The Pew poll highlights the strong foundation GOP nominee Donald Trump’s policy platform rests on, though he has struggled to keep the national conversation centered on the issues facing U.S. workers rather than his personal foibles.

Trump has made aggressively attacking bad trade deals such as NAFTA, approved in 1993, and the Trans Pacific Partnership, which has not been approved yet, key tenants of his bid for the White House.