Immigration Policy Center
The Immigration Policy Center released fact sheets highlighting the role and impact of immigrant, Latino, and Asian populations on the U.S. economy for each of the 50 states and for the nation. In 2008, immigrants comprised 12.5% of the U.S. population, about 36% of which were naturalized U.S. citizens and 30% were Legal Permanent Residents. The data also find that immigrants are an integral component of the work force and are a growing portion of the electorate.
The fact sheets are available from the Immigration Policy Center website.
The information below is from GCIR's Immigrant Integration Toolkit which includes general facts about immigrants in the U.S. economy supported by historical empirical data and developing trends in the economy.
Immigrants are a significant, increasing percentage of the U.S. labor force growth.[source]
- Immigrants constituted more than 50 percent of the overall growth in the labor force in the last decade.
- Between 1994 and 2004, the native-born labor force grew by 7 percent (118 million to 126 million), while the immigrant labor force grew by 66 percent (12.9 million to 21.4 million).
- Between 2000 and 2050, new immigrants and their children will account for 83 percent of the growth in the working-age population and 60 percent of total U.S. population growth.
Immigrants will fill workforce gaps created by aging native-born workers.
- By 2030, the percentage of the U.S. population over 65 will more than double, from over 12 to almost 20 percent, while the working-age and child population will shrink by 8 percent.[source]
- Eighty percent of immigrants are working age, compared to 60 percent of the native-born.[source]
Immigrants bring skills that meet the needs of the U.S. "hour-glass" economy, filling jobs at the high and low ends of the labor market.
- In 2000, the foreign-born accounted for 38 percent of scientists and engineers with doctorates and 29 percent of those with master's degrees.[source]
- Among computer scientists and mathematicians, half of all doctorate holders and one-third of master's degree holders were foreign-born.[source]
- From 1996 to 2002, the foreign-born constituted 27 percent of the growth in doctors, scientists, and teachers.[source]
- Immigrants from countries outside of Mexico and Central America are more likely to have completed college or graduate school (43 percent) than native-born workers (32 percent).[source]
- The foreign-born in lower-skilled occupations include:[source]
- 41 percent of workers in farming, fishing, and forestry.
- 33 percent of building and maintenance workers.
- 22 percent of workers in food preparation/serving and construction/ mining.
- Immigrants from Mexico or Central America are more likely than native-born workers to have less than a high school education (59 percent versus 6 percent).[source]
- Nearly half of all immigrant workers earn less than 200 percent of the minimum wage, compared to one-third of native workers. The average low-wage immigrant worker earned $14,400 in 2001.[source]
- From 2004 to 2014, the greatest growth in U.S. jobs, in both numbers and percentage, will be at the upper and lower ends of the workforce. Professional occupations will gain 6 million jobs, representing a 21 percent increase. Service jobs will increase by 5.2 million, or 19 percent.[source]
Immigration is stimulating growth in Asian-American and Latino businesses and buying power.
- Between 1997 and 2002, the number of Asian-American businesses grew 24 percent, and Latino businesses grew 31 percent, compared to 10 percent growth for all U.S. firms.[source]
- Between 1990 and 2009, both Asian-American and Latino buying power will grow 347 percent, compared to a 158 percent increase in total U.S. buying power.[source]
- By 2009, Asian-Americans and Latinos are projected to total 20 percent of the population and command almost 14 percent of U.S. buying power.[source]