OP-ED: Gabily Gonzalez-Immigration By the Numbers
Photo courtesy of Gabily Gonzalez
OP-ED
BY GABILY GONZALEZ
I usually never talk about politics but I think it’s important to bring up facts and to educate ourselves so that we can continue to grow as a whole.
With that being said, here you go!
Did you know?
The United States was built, in part, by immigrants—and the nation has long been the beneficiary of the energy and ingenuity that immigrants bring. Today, 13.8 percent of the nation’s residents are foreign-born, more than half of whom are naturalized citizens. Immigrants support the U.S. economy in many ways, accounting for 22.6 percent of entrepreneurs, 23.1 percent of STEM workers, and 15.6 percent of nurses. As neighbors, business owners, taxpayers, and workers, immigrants are an integral part of the country’s diverse and thriving communities and make extensive contributions that benefit all.
Demographics
In the United States, immigrants are more likely to be working-age than their U.S.-born counterparts. This means they are more likely to be active in the labor force, allowing them to contribute to the economy not only as consumers but also as taxpayers, helping fund social services and programs like Medicare and Social Security.
Age Group Foreign-Born Population U.S.-Born Population
0-15 4.6% 21.4%
16-64 77.7% 61.3%
65+ 17.7% 17.3%
Entrepreneurship
It is hard to overstate the importance of entrepreneurship since new businesses are the main driver of job growth in the United States. Immigrants play a particularly important role in this—founding businesses at far higher rates than the U.S. population overall. Today, millions of American workers are employed at immigrant-founded and immigrant-owned companies.
Taxes and Spending Power
Immigrant households contribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal, state, and local taxes and hold a tremendous amount of spending power. This gives them significant economic clout, helping support local communities as consumers and taxpayers. Like all residents of the United States, regardless of where they were born, immigrants make use of public services like education, healthcare, and public safety. Even with these costs, however, immigrants’ economic contributions far outweigh the cost of additional public services they incur.
$2.1T
Immigrant household income: $1.6T
Total spending power
State & Local Taxes Paid $196.3B
Federal Taxes Paid $382.8B
Total Taxes Paid $579.1B
$194.5B
Immigrants’ contributions to Social Security
$53.6B
Workforce
The growth in the immigrant population has helped to strengthen America’s labor force. As baby boomers retire, younger immigrants are filling crucial gaps in the labor market. Nationally, immigrants are more likely to hold an advanced degree than the U.S.-born.
29,431,300
Number of immigrant workers in the labor force
Educational Attainment by Nativity, Age 25+
Education Level Foreign-Born Population U.S.-Born Population
Less Than High School 24.8% 7.2%
High School & Some College 40.4% 56.9%
Bachelor’s Degree 19.1% 22.1%
Graduate Degree 15.6% 13.8%
Share of College-Educated Workers Employed in Jobs That Don’t Require a College Degree
Foreign-Born Population U.S.-Born Population
31.0% 28.4%
25.3%
Agriculture
25.0%
Construction
21.4%
Transportation and Warehousing
20.9%
General Services
19.7%
Professional Services
Top Occupations with Highest Share of Immigrant Workers
#1 Manicurists and pedicurists
73.2%
#2 Plasterers and stucco masons
65.1%
#3 Taxi drivers
56.7%
#4 Graders and sorters, agricultural products
54.3%
#5 Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers
52.9%
23.1%
Share of STEM workers who are immigrants
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are some of the most in-demand jobs in the U.S. economy. These jobs are also expected to experience some of the highest growth rates in the next decade, second only to healthcare jobs. While immigrants already play a huge part in maintaining the United States’ role as a leading innovator, immigrants will also be instrumental in helping high-tech industries meet their full potential as their needs for high-skilled STEM workers rapidly increases in the future.
Healthcare
As millions of baby boomers become elderly, the U.S. healthcare system is facing unprecedented demand, adding jobs faster than any other segment of the economy. Many healthcare businesses and providers are struggling to find enough workers, and in some rural areas shortages are particularly acute. Immigrants have already been filling some of our most glaring healthcare needs. They are twice as likely as the U.S.-born to work as home health aides, and twice as likely to work as physicians and surgeons.
Nurses who are foreign-born
15.6%
Health aides who are foreign-born
27.7%
Housing
Immigrant families have long played an important role in helping to build housing wealth in the United States. In recent decades, the more than 40 million immigrants in the U.S. collectively increased U.S. housing wealth by trillions of dollars. Much of this was possible because immigrants moved into neighborhoods once in decline, thus helping to revitalize communities and make neighborhoods more attractive to U.S.-born residents.
11,193,300
Immigrant homeowners
15.0%
Share of recent homebuyers who were foreign-born
$6.1T
Housing wealth held by immigrant households
$149.1B
Amount paid by immigrant-led households in rent
International Students
International students in the United States contribute tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy every year and support a significant number of U.S. jobs through their tuition payments and day-to-day spending. Research has also found that increases in the number of international students at American universities boost innovation and patent creation.
1,057,188
Students at U.S. colleges and universities who are international students
$40.1B
Economic contribution of international students
368,333
Jobs supported by international students
Naturalization & Voting Power
As more immigrants naturalize and become eligible to vote, they continue to gain political power. The number of immigrant voters is only projected to rise in the next decade, and in some states foreign-born voters are already capable of deciding elections.
52.4%
Share of immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens
23,419,100
Number of immigrants who are eligible to vote
24,174,000
Number of immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens
7,378,300
Number of immigrants who are eligible for naturalization
Undocumented Immigrants
The presence of a significant number of undocumented immigrants in the United States, most of whom have lived in the country for more than five years, poses many legal and political challenges. But while politicians continue to debate what to do about illegal immigration, millions of undocumented immigrants are working across the country, contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy.
89.8%
Share of undocumented immigrants who are working age
10,747,400
Number of undocumented immigrants
1,020,900
Undocumented entrepreneurs
$330.0B
Undocumented household income
$254.4B
Total spending power
State & Local Taxes Paid $29.0B
Federal Taxes Paid $46.6B
Total Taxes Paid $75.6B
Share of immigrant population who are undocumented immigrants
23.3%
Share of population that is undocumented
3.2%
Share of workforce that is undocumented
4.5%
8,758,400
Number of U.S. citizens living with at least one undocumented family member
2.8%
Share of U.S. citizens living with at least one undocumented family member
5,151,400
Number of U.S. citizen children living with at least one undocumented family member
7.3%
Share of U.S. citizen children living with at least one undocumented family member
4,173,300
Number of U.S. citizen children living with at least one undocumented parent
5.9%
Share of U.S. citizen children living with at least one undocumented parent
The DACA-Eligible Population
DACA-eligible people contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. Removing the protections afforded to DACA recipients would likely upset local economies, communities, and schools, hurting employers and businesses that depend on these young immigrants as workers and customers.
96.3%
Share of DACA-eligible population in labor force that is employed
1,127,100
Number of DACA-eligible residents
73,900
Number of DACA-eligible entrepreneurs
$42.3B
DACA-eligible household income
$31.9B
Total spending power
State & Local Taxes Paid $4.5B
Federal Taxes Paid $6.0B
Total Taxes Paid $10.4B
Refugees
Refugees living in the United States make tremendous contributions to our economy as earners, taxpayers, and consumers. Rather than a drain on communities, refugees, with their high employment rate and entreprenuerial spirit, actually sustain and strengthen their new hometowns.
96.3%
Employment rate of likely refugees
83.1%
Share of refugees who are naturalized U.S. citizens
2,261,500
Number of likely refugees
190,000
Number of refugee entrepreneurs
$6.7B
Total business income of refugee entrepreneurs
$114.7B
Refugee household income
$83.1B
Total spending power
State & Local Taxes Paid $11.4B
Federal Taxes Paid $20.2B
Total Taxes Paid $31.6B
Temporary Protected Status Holders
Recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) have made enormous contributions to various industries and paid a significant amount in federal, state, and local taxes in the United States. Forcing them to leave the country not only risks putting these individuals in danger, but also threatens to significantly disrupt local economies.
89.9%
Share of TPS holders who are working age
536,900
Number of TPS holders
96.7%
Employment rate of TPS holders
$13.6B
TPS household income
$10.5B
Total spending power
State & Local Taxes Paid $1.3B
Federal Taxes Paid $1.7B
Total Taxes Paid $3.1B
EDITOR’s NOTE: Gabily Gonzalez is a community outreach organizer for education advocacy nonprofit Parents Invincible in Camden, an immigrant supporter and a member of Front Runner New Jersey.com’s Class of 2024 30 Under 40 Top Young Latinos of South Jersey.
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