DETROIT — New York’s mayor says Detroit should lift its lamp as a beacon for new immigrants as a way to counter its drastic population losses.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg floated the proposal during an appearance today on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press.”

Bloomberg says there’s a “crisis of confidence” among business people about the nation’s economy.

He says the “most obvious” response to economic growth is encouraging immigration, particularly to places like Detroit.

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The city has seen its population fall from 1.8 million in the 1950 U.S. Census to 714,000 in 2010. The population dropped 26 percent in the last decade alone.

Bloomberg says the U.S. should admit immigrants who agree to live for five or 10 years in the city and work or start businesses.