The influx of Hispanic immigrants into North Carolina has been blamed for a host of problems, from rising crime to overcrowded schools.

But a new study by North Carolina State University researchers should help dispel one myth — that Hispanics are stealing jobs from native-born blacks and whites. Instead, the study finds, Hispanics are playing an important role in economic expansion by filling jobs that others don’t want.

The NCSU study, using 1993-1997 federal data for 10 industries, found that Hispanic employment in the state grew 161 percent in four years, reaching an estimated 92,487 workers in 1997. That surge corresponds to a surge in North Carolina’s Hispanic population. In the same four-year period, the Hispanic population grew 129 percent — to 175,700 — according to Census Bureau estimates, although some believe the actual number of Hispanics in the state is at least double that number. Many of them work in low-skill industries such as hotel and motel services, meat processing, knitting mills and other manufacturing.

Immigration reform advocates challenged the findings, citing the stagnation of wages for lower-income families as evidence that immigration had flooded the bottom-rung labor market and is driving down wages. There’s no argument that minimum-wage workers have lost ground in the last decade, while upper income workers have done better. But that’s not because of immigration; it’s because those higher income workers are in skilled positions that can’t be filled by an entry-level worker, whether it’s a newly arrived immigrant or a teen-ager fresh out of high school.

It’s important to dispel myths about immigration at any time, but especially during periods when rapid social change converges with rapid economic shifts. Layoffs and downsizing can leave idled workers and their families feeling stunned and powerless, and more likely to cast others as the scapegoat.

It’s also important to dispel myths because they deflect attention from real problems. The surge in Hispanics and other immigrants presents a growing challenge for schools. It also presents a challenge for agencies trying to deliver prenatal care and counseling, childhood immunizations and other safety-net services.

Because of language barriers and fears of deportation, Hispanics are also more vulnerable to abuses in the workplace. They have a disproportionate number of workplace deaths, and are less likely than other workers to have insurance or other benefits.

Many communities face additional burdens related to immigration. But job theft isn’t one of them.