Winners

Entrepreneurs. As most business owners know, finding low-cost, reliable workers is a continual challenge. A flood of new immigrants would let employers be far pickier. "Employers already hire millions of illegals. Mass legalization will simply add to the pool of cheap, compliant labor for employers to choose from," says Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that advocates slowing immigration.

News You Can Use: If you're thinking of starting a business, consider one that uses low-skill workers who needn't speak much English, such as a construction or landscaping company or a restaurant. Food outlets may get an additional long-term boost from migrants—more low-paid laborers working in the agriculture and meat-processing industries are likely to drive down the cost of food.

Workers seeking government jobs. Thousands of government employees would be hired to administer the provisions of mass legalization and provide the government services that the largely low-income population of immigrants would want: English-language and bilingual/bicultural education programs, healthcare, public assistance, subsidized housing, and so on. And because government jobs are becoming the last bastion of job security and pensions, such positions may be particularly desirable.

News You Can Use: Learn Spanish, and work to understand Latino culture.

Illegal immigrants and their families. Illegal workers, on average, earn eight times as much as the average worker in Mexico. "As soon as they cross the border, they have no trouble finding a job," says Gabriel Escobar, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, which generally encourages expanded immigration. And if they became legal immigrants, their economic conditions would improve dramatically, according to Slavia Jimenez, policy analyst for the National Council of La Raza, a nonprofit that advocates for Hispanic rights. "They can organize for better wages and benefits." Of the 12 million illegals in the United States, the Pew Center estimates that nearly 6 million are dependents–mainly grandparents, spouses, and children. But they would benefit from mass legalization because they would become eligible for a wider range of taxpayer-provided services.

Losers

Teenagers. Mass legalization would take a particularly heavy toll on American teenagers, who often seek low-skill, after-school, and summer jobs at restaurants, construction firms, and retail outlets. Those launchpad jobs are an important part of training for success in life. Part-time jobs teach high school students that in the real world, there's no grade inflation–come in late and do sloppy work, and you're likely to be fired.

News You Can Use: Visit your high school's career center, or explore www.careervoyages.org to identify a potential career. Then, try to find a job or internship working for someone in that profession. For example, want to become a teacher? Get a job at a summer camp or in your city's local recreation department teaching kids something you enjoy–for example, sports or art.

Americans who don't have a high school diploma. It's already happening and would only intensify: The massive influx of immigrants would decrease the need for low-skill U.S.-born residents. African-Americans would be disproportionately affected because they have the highest school-dropout rate among legal U.S. residents. And the displacement wouldn't just happen in agriculture and construction, which the public normally associates with illegal workers, but could affect industries like furniture. According to a National Academy of Sciences report, immigration has already accounted for 40 to 50 percent of the wage depression for workers without a high school diploma in recent decades.

News You Can Use: It's more important than ever to get a high school diploma and learn a skilled trade at a community college. Also, consider acquiring entrepreneurial skills by working at the elbow of a successful small-business owner so you can, someday, start your own business.

High school grads. Plummeting wages for unskilled labor would motivate the best of the uneducated to seek employment previously reserved for high school graduates. The increased supply of such people would drive down pay in fields such as retail and the skilled trades.

News You Can Use: Again, get as much education and training as possible. A wealth of information for high school graduates on careers that don't require a college degree is available at the Vocational Information Center.