Immigrants contribute to the U.S economy in plenty of ways. They work at high rates and make up more than a third of the workforce in some industries. Immigrant workers help support the aging native - born population. This increases the number of workers compared to retirees and strengthen the social security and medicare trust funds. Children born to immigrant families tend to be more mobile. They promise future benefits not only to their families, but to the U.S. economy overall.
Immigrants and our economy
Immigrants hold jobs that are important to our economy. Immigrants with less than a four-year college degree made up 10 percent of all U.S workers in the United States. But they reflected a large portion of all workers in many important occupations and industries. In 2018 a study showed that 36 percent of workers in the farming, fishing, and field industry, tend to be immigrants without a college degree. This also includes 36 percent of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers. Immigrants continue to help fill key gaps in the U.S economy. Their economic contributions would be nearly impossible to replace. Immigration helps drive growth in the housing industry. Immigrants accounted for 32 percent of the total growth in households in 1990’s. Slowing growth rates in the U.S born population means that immigrant households make up a growing share of total growth in the U.S housing.
When COVID-19 hit the economy hit a low we hadn’t seen in over a decade. Despite being hit hard by the recent economic struggles, immigrants were quick to lead the recover effort by returning to the labor force. Immigrants make up around 38 percent of home health aids, about 29 percent of physicians, and close to 22 percent of nursing assistants. As the older generations age and health care system faces increasing demands, immigrants will play an even more critical role in the some of the fastest growing health care occupations. Immigrants are not only workers, but they are also consumers. They are poised to play a large role in the economic recovery as they return to work and help regain some of this spending power. With their ability to spend more will further drive demand for goods and services that will help bring back into the ranks of the employed.
Immigrants are highly entrepreneurial, they tend to launch companies at twice the rate of native-born Americans and end up creating large numbers of jobs. All of this increases the employment opportunities for native born American workers, and it helps boosts wages and it strengthens the middle class. Research shows that immigrants generally complement, rather than compete with american workers. This is because they have different skill sets and educational backgrounds.The economy is dynamic and not zero-sum. When more people work, productivity increases. As more people start returning to the work force due to COVID in the coming years, immigrants will continue to help fill the labor demand and help maintain the social safety net.
Conclusion
COVID-19 Revealed that immigrant workers play a critical function in supplying the essential labor in the service in the economy. They play a vital role in creating a diverse and dynamic growing U.S Economy. At Boots on The Ground, we strive to provide opportunities to veterans and immigrants. We recognize and value work ethic and commitment of both groups and we seek to connect them with job opportunities that match their skills and abilities. If you have any questions for us, get in touch and let us know how we can help.