It’s time to put to rest any lingering doubt that immigrants are just participating in the American workforce; the numbers show they are actively powering it, fueling growth and filling essential roles across the economy from tech to healthcare.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, foreign-born individuals accounted for 18.6% of the U.S. civilian labor force, totaling about 30.5 million workers
- The labor force participation rate for foreign-born men aged 16+ was 75.8% in 2022, compared to 68.4% for native-born men
- Foreign-born women had a labor force participation rate of 57.5% in 2022, higher than the 56.8% for native-born women
- Foreign-born workers held 28.5% of STEM jobs in 2021
- Immigrants were 36% of healthcare support workers in 2022
- In construction, foreign-born workers were 30.4% of the total in 2022
- Foreign-born median weekly earnings were $1,043 in 2022, 84% of natives' $1,240
- College-educated immigrants earned $1,656 weekly in 2022 vs. $2,056 for natives
- Less-than-HS immigrants earned $713 weekly in 2022, 78% of natives' $913
- Foreign-born unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2023, below natives' 3.6%
- Immigrant youth unemployment was 10.2% in 2022 vs. natives' 11.5%
- Undocumented immigrants had 5.1% unemployment in 2022
- Immigrants owned 10.5 million businesses in 2022, 25% of all U.S. firms
- Immigrant-founded firms generated $1.3 trillion in sales in 2022
- 45% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children in 2023
Immigrants are a vital and growing segment of the American workforce across many key industries.
Economic Contributions
1Immigrants contributed $2 trillion to GDP via businesses in 2022
Verified2Foreign-born workers added 1.6% to U.S. GDP growth in 2022
Verified3Immigrants filled 18% of job vacancies in 2023, boosting output
Verified4Without immigrants, U.S. labor force would shrink 8% by 2035
Directional5Immigrant taxes paid $525 billion federal in 2022
Single source6Undocumented immigrants contributed $35 billion SS taxes in 2022
Verified7Immigrants boosted wages for natives by 0.5% per decade
Verified8Foreign-born labor force growth prevented 1.5% unemployment rise post-COVID
Verified9Immigrants' spending power reached $1.7 trillion in 2023
Directional10In agriculture, immigrants produced 70% of fruits/veggies, $100B value
Single source11High-skilled immigrants added $1.2 trillion GDP over 20 years
Verified12Immigrants reduced inflation by 0.3% in 2023 via labor supply
Verified13Foreign-born R&D workers generated 25% innovation growth
Verified14Immigrant households paid $400B state/local taxes in 2022
Directional15Without immigrants, healthcare shortages would cost $50B annually
Single source16Immigrants supported 15 million native jobs via supply chains in 2022
Verified17Latino immigrants added $2.8 trillion to GDP in 2022
Verified18Immigrants' entrepreneurship created 2.5 million jobs in 2022
Verified19Foreign-born filled 50% of labor growth in 2010-2020
Directional20Immigrants lowered childcare costs by 5% via workforce participation
Single source21Asian immigrants contributed $800B to tech sector GDP in 2022
Verified22Net fiscal impact of immigrants positive $279B over 75 years
Verified23Immigrants increased housing demand, adding $200B construction value
VerifiedEconomic Contributions Interpretation
To put it plainly: while some argue immigration drains resources, the numbers tell a story of an economic engine that adds trillions to our GDP, fills critical job vacancies, and even helps keep inflation and your grocery bill in check.
Employment by Sector
1Foreign-born workers held 28.5% of STEM jobs in 2021
Verified2Immigrants were 36% of healthcare support workers in 2022
Verified3In construction, foreign-born workers were 30.4% of the total in 2022
Verified445% of farmworkers in the U.S. were immigrants in 2022
Directional5Immigrants comprised 26% of computer and math occupations in 2021
Single source6In food service, 22.1% of workers were foreign-born in 2022
Verified7Manufacturing employed 17% of immigrant workers in 2022
Verified839% of nursing assistants were immigrants in 2022
Verified9Foreign-born held 25% of engineering jobs in 2021
Directional10In transportation, immigrants were 18.3% of workers in 2022
Single source1150% of agricultural laborers were foreign-born in 2022
Verified12Immigrants made up 29% of building cleaning workers in 2022
Verified13In professional services, 19.7% were immigrants in 2022
Verified14Foreign-born were 36% of home health aides in 2022
Directional1524% of physicians in the U.S. were immigrants in 2021
Single source16Construction laborers: 41% immigrant in 2022
Verified17In education, immigrants were 15.2% of workers in 2022
Verified1831% of taxi drivers were foreign-born in 2022
Verified19Retail trade employed 14% of immigrants in 2022
Directional20Foreign-born software developers: 25.6% in 2021
Single source21In leisure and hospitality, 20.4% immigrant workers in 2022
Verified2243% of meat processing workers were immigrants in 2021
Verified23Grounds maintenance: 37% foreign-born in 2022
Verified24Healthcare practitioners: 18% immigrants in 2022
Directional25In roofing, 48% of workers were immigrants in 2022
Single source26Personal care aides: 28% foreign-born in 2022
VerifiedEmployment by Sector Interpretation
While we're busy arguing about borders, immigrants are quietly doing the crucial, difficult, and often thankless work of building, feeding, healing, and powering the very country that debates their presence.
Entrepreneurship
1Immigrants owned 10.5 million businesses in 2022, 25% of all U.S. firms
Verified2Immigrant-founded firms generated $1.3 trillion in sales in 2022
Verified345% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children in 2023
Verified4Foreign-born entrepreneurs had 80% higher business ownership rate than natives in 2021
Directional5In 2022, immigrants started 28% of new U.S. businesses
Single source6Indian immigrants owned 12% of all immigrant businesses in 2020
Verified7Mexican immigrants owned 32% of immigrant-owned firms in 2020
Verified8Undocumented immigrants owned 800,000 businesses employing 4.3 million in 2021
Verified9In California, immigrants owned 36% of businesses in 2022
Directional10Chinese immigrants started firms at twice the native rate in 2021
Single source11Immigrant women owned 1.5 million businesses in 2022
Verified12Tech startups: 55% had immigrant founders in 2022
Verified13Immigrants' businesses employed 8 million Americans in 2022
Verified14Latino immigrants owned 4.7 million firms in 2021
Directional15In New York, 37% of businesses immigrant-owned in 2022
Single source16Foreign-born self-employment rate 10.1% vs. natives 9.2% in 2022
Verified17Immigrants created 25% of new patents in 2021
Verified18Korean immigrants had highest business ownership rate at 15% in 2020
Verified19Immigrant entrepreneurs paid $150 billion in taxes in 2022
Directional20In hospitality, 40% of hotels immigrant-owned in 2022
Single source21Cuban immigrants owned 1.2 million businesses in 2021
Verified22Startups by immigrants raised $200 billion VC in 2022
Verified23Foreign-born owned 28% of main street businesses in 2021
Verified24Nigerian immigrants had 11% self-employment rate in 2021
DirectionalEntrepreneurship Interpretation
While the narrative often casts immigrants as guests at the economic table, the data reveals they are, in fact, the prolific chefs who own a quarter of the restaurants, hire much of the staff, and keep inventing new and better dishes for everyone to enjoy.
Labor Force Participation
1In 2022, foreign-born individuals accounted for 18.6% of the U.S. civilian labor force, totaling about 30.5 million workers
Verified2The labor force participation rate for foreign-born men aged 16+ was 75.8% in 2022, compared to 68.4% for native-born men
Verified3Foreign-born women had a labor force participation rate of 57.5% in 2022, higher than the 56.8% for native-born women
Verified4In 2023, immigrants comprised 18.1% of the U.S. workforce, up from 17.4% in 2020
Directional5Hispanic immigrants made up 52% of the foreign-born labor force in 2022
Single source6Asian immigrants represented 28% of the immigrant workforce in 2022
Verified7In California, immigrants were 34% of the labor force in 2021
Verified8New York state's immigrant labor force share was 29% in 2021
Verified9Foreign-born workers aged 25-54 had a participation rate of 78.2% in 2022
Directional10In 2021, 26.3 million immigrants were in the U.S. labor force
Single source11Immigrant labor force participation exceeded native-born by 5.1 percentage points in 2021
Verified12Mexican-born workers were 24% of the foreign-born labor force in 2022
Verified13In Texas, immigrants formed 27% of the workforce in 2022
Verified14Florida's immigrant labor force share reached 26% in 2022
Directional15Foreign-born prime-age men (25-54) had 77.5% participation rate vs. 73.2% for natives in 2023 Q1
Single source16Undocumented immigrants were estimated at 8.3 million in the labor force in 2022
Verified17In 2020, immigrants' labor force participation rate was 65.2%, higher than natives' 61.1%
Verified18Salvadoran immigrants had 70.4% participation rate in 2021
Verified19Indian immigrants showed 72.1% labor force participation in 2021
Directional20In Nevada, 23% of the workforce was immigrant in 2022
Single source21New Jersey's immigrant workforce share was 30% in 2022
Verified22Foreign-born youth (16-24) participation was 55.3% in 2022
Verified23In 2023, 32.3 million foreign-born were employed in the U.S.
Verified24Immigrant women from Sub-Saharan Africa had 68.7% participation in 2021
Directional25Chinese immigrants comprised 6% of the foreign-born workforce in 2022
Single source26In Illinois, immigrants were 19% of the labor force in 2021
Verified27Foreign-born over 55 had 42.1% participation rate in 2022, lower than natives' 40.8%
Verified28In 2022, 67% of the U.S. labor force growth was due to immigrants
Verified29Guatemalan immigrants had 69.2% participation in 2021
Directional30In Arizona, 22% of workforce was immigrant-born in 2022
Single sourceLabor Force Participation Interpretation
While our national character loves a good debate about immigration, the data makes a more practical point: if you’ve enjoyed a meal, driven on a road, or received care lately, there’s a statistically significant chance you’ve already benefited from the immigrant workforce quietly holding up a larger share of the economy than their numbers alone would suggest.
Unemployment Rates
1Foreign-born unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2023, below natives' 3.6%
Verified2Immigrant youth unemployment was 10.2% in 2022 vs. natives' 11.5%
Verified3Undocumented immigrants had 5.1% unemployment in 2022
Verified4During COVID-19 peak 2020, immigrant unemployment hit 14.7% vs. 12.5% natives
Directional5Black immigrants' unemployment was 6.1% in 2022
Single source6Hispanic immigrants had 4.3% unemployment in 2023
Verified7Asian immigrants unemployment rate 3.1% in 2022, lowest among groups
Verified8Long-term unemployment for immigrants was 25.3% of total unemployed in 2022
Verified9In construction, immigrant unemployment was 5.2% in 2022
Directional10Foreign-born prime-age unemployment 3.2% vs. 3.8% natives in 2023
Single source11Mexican immigrants unemployment 4.8% in 2022
Verified12During recovery 2021-2022, immigrants regained jobs faster, unemployment drop 8.5%
Verified13Immigrant women unemployment 3.7% in 2023
Verified14In STEM, immigrant unemployment was 2.1% in 2022
Directional15Undocumented unemployment peaked at 18% in April 2020
Single source16Naturalized immigrants had 3.0% unemployment vs. 4.2% non-citizens in 2022
Verified17In California, immigrant unemployment 4.5% vs. state avg 4.2% in 2022
Verified18Foreign-born over 55 unemployment 3.9% in 2022
Verified19During 2023 recession fears, immigrants' unemployment stable at 3.5%
Directional20Indian immigrants unemployment 2.8% in 2022
Single source21In agriculture, immigrant unemployment was 6.3% in 2022
Verified22Immigrant underemployment rate was 8.4% in 2021
Verified23Salvadoran immigrants unemployment 5.4% in 2022
VerifiedUnemployment Rates Interpretation
Immigrants, against all odds and paperwork, are quietly out-hustling the native-born in the job market, proving the American Dream works even when the system tries to dream of their absence.
Wages and Earnings
1Foreign-born median weekly earnings were $1,043 in 2022, 84% of natives' $1,240
Verified2College-educated immigrants earned $1,656 weekly in 2022 vs. $2,056 for natives
Verified3Less-than-HS immigrants earned $713 weekly in 2022, 78% of natives' $913
Verified4Immigrant men earned 82% of native men's wages in 2022
Directional5Undocumented immigrants earned 52% less than natives in similar jobs in 2021
Single source6In 2021, immigrants' median household income was $68,000 vs. $72,000 for natives
Verified7Asian immigrants had median earnings of $1,250 weekly in 2022
Verified8Hispanic immigrants earned $850 weekly median in 2022
Verified9STEM immigrants earned 15% more than natives in STEM in 2021
Directional10Immigrant women earned 88% of native women's wages in 2022
Single source11In construction, immigrants earned 10% less than natives in 2021
Verified12High-skilled H-1B immigrants had wages 20% above natives in tech
Verified13Mexican immigrants' median wage was $650 weekly in 2022
Verified14Indian immigrants earned $1,800 weekly median in 2022
Directional15Undocumented construction workers earned 42% less in 2021
Single source16Immigrants with 4+ years college earned 5% more than natives in 2021
Verified17In 2022, foreign-born full-time workers' earnings rose 4.2% YoY
Verified18Black immigrants earned $950 weekly median in 2022
Verified19Wage gap for immigrants narrowed to 16% in 2023 from 20% in 2019
Directional20Naturalized citizens earned 10% more than non-citizens in 2021
Single source21In hospitality, immigrants earned 15% less per hour in 2022
Verified22Foreign-born managers earned $1,450 weekly in 2022
Verified23Immigrant hourly wage in agriculture was $14.50 in 2022
Verified24Tech immigrants' wages averaged $120,000 annually in 2022
Directional25Female immigrant physicians earned 92% of native peers in 2021
Single source26In manufacturing, immigrant wages were 12% below natives' in 2022
Verified27Salvadoran immigrants' median wage $780 weekly in 2021
VerifiedWages and Earnings Interpretation
The data paints a vivid portrait of an immigrant workforce where the promise of higher wages often comes with a persistent discount, though the exact terms of the deal depend dramatically on your passport, profession, and papers.
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