Immigrants helped drive a $1.7 trillion spending power footprint in 2023 while also filling 18% of job vacancies the same year, and the effect shows up far beyond payroll. In this post, we connect contributions like $2 trillion in 2022 business driven GDP and $279 billion net positive fiscal impact over 75 years to workforce realities such as labor force growth preventing a 1.5% unemployment spike after COVID. The surprising part is how often these figures move together, from innovation and STEM to wages, unemployment patterns, and even childcare costs.
Key Takeaways
- Immigrants contributed $2 trillion to GDP via businesses in 2022
- Foreign-born workers added 1.6% to U.S. GDP growth in 2022
- Immigrants filled 18% of job vacancies in 2023, boosting output
- 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
- 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
- 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 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 are fueling US growth, filling jobs, boosting output, and strengthening taxes and wages.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Contributions23 stats
01
Immigrants contributed $2 trillion to GDP via businesses in 2022
02
Foreign-born workers added 1.6% to U.S. GDP growth in 2022
03
Immigrants filled 18% of job vacancies in 2023, boosting output
04
Without immigrants, U.S. labor force would shrink 8% by 2035
05
Immigrant taxes paid $525 billion federal in 2022
06
Undocumented immigrants contributed $35 billion SS taxes in 2022
07
Immigrants boosted wages for natives by 0.5% per decade
08
Foreign-born labor force growth prevented 1.5% unemployment rise post-COVID
09
Immigrants' spending power reached $1.7 trillion in 2023
10
In agriculture, immigrants produced 70% of fruits/veggies, $100B value
11
High-skilled immigrants added $1.2 trillion GDP over 20 years
12
Immigrants reduced inflation by 0.3% in 2023 via labor supply
13
Foreign-born R&D workers generated 25% innovation growth
14
Immigrant households paid $400B state/local taxes in 2022
15
Without immigrants, healthcare shortages would cost $50B annually
16
Immigrants supported 15 million native jobs via supply chains in 2022
17
Latino immigrants added $2.8 trillion to GDP in 2022
18
Immigrants' entrepreneurship created 2.5 million jobs in 2022
19
Foreign-born filled 50% of labor growth in 2010-2020
20
Immigrants lowered childcare costs by 5% via workforce participation
21
Asian immigrants contributed $800B to tech sector GDP in 2022
22
Net fiscal impact of immigrants positive $279B over 75 years
23
Immigrants increased housing demand, adding $200B construction value
Interpretation
Economic 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.
02 · Category
Employment by Sector26 stats
01
Foreign-born workers held 28.5% of STEM jobs in 2021
02
Immigrants were 36% of healthcare support workers in 2022
03
In construction, foreign-born workers were 30.4% of the total in 2022
04
45% of farmworkers in the U.S. were immigrants in 2022
05
Immigrants comprised 26% of computer and math occupations in 2021
06
In food service, 22.1% of workers were foreign-born in 2022
07
Manufacturing employed 17% of immigrant workers in 2022
08
39% of nursing assistants were immigrants in 2022
09
Foreign-born held 25% of engineering jobs in 2021
10
In transportation, immigrants were 18.3% of workers in 2022
11
50% of agricultural laborers were foreign-born in 2022
12
Immigrants made up 29% of building cleaning workers in 2022
13
In professional services, 19.7% were immigrants in 2022
14
Foreign-born were 36% of home health aides in 2022
15
24% of physicians in the U.S. were immigrants in 2021
16
Construction laborers: 41% immigrant in 2022
17
In education, immigrants were 15.2% of workers in 2022
18
31% of taxi drivers were foreign-born in 2022
19
Retail trade employed 14% of immigrants in 2022
20
Foreign-born software developers: 25.6% in 2021
21
In leisure and hospitality, 20.4% immigrant workers in 2022
22
43% of meat processing workers were immigrants in 2021
23
Grounds maintenance: 37% foreign-born in 2022
24
Healthcare practitioners: 18% immigrants in 2022
25
In roofing, 48% of workers were immigrants in 2022
26
Personal care aides: 28% foreign-born in 2022
Interpretation
Employment 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.
03 · Category
Entrepreneurship24 stats
01
Immigrants owned 10.5 million businesses in 2022, 25% of all U.S. firms
02
Immigrant-founded firms generated $1.3 trillion in sales in 2022
03
45% of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children in 2023
04
Foreign-born entrepreneurs had 80% higher business ownership rate than natives in 2021
05
In 2022, immigrants started 28% of new U.S. businesses
06
Indian immigrants owned 12% of all immigrant businesses in 2020
07
Mexican immigrants owned 32% of immigrant-owned firms in 2020
08
Undocumented immigrants owned 800,000 businesses employing 4.3 million in 2021
09
In California, immigrants owned 36% of businesses in 2022
10
Chinese immigrants started firms at twice the native rate in 2021
11
Immigrant women owned 1.5 million businesses in 2022
12
Tech startups: 55% had immigrant founders in 2022
13
Immigrants' businesses employed 8 million Americans in 2022
14
Latino immigrants owned 4.7 million firms in 2021
15
In New York, 37% of businesses immigrant-owned in 2022
16
Foreign-born self-employment rate 10.1% vs. natives 9.2% in 2022
17
Immigrants created 25% of new patents in 2021
18
Korean immigrants had highest business ownership rate at 15% in 2020
19
Immigrant entrepreneurs paid $150 billion in taxes in 2022
20
In hospitality, 40% of hotels immigrant-owned in 2022
21
Cuban immigrants owned 1.2 million businesses in 2021
22
Startups by immigrants raised $200 billion VC in 2022
23
Foreign-born owned 28% of main street businesses in 2021
24
Nigerian immigrants had 11% self-employment rate in 2021
Interpretation
Entrepreneurship 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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Labor Force Participation30 stats
01
In 2022, foreign-born individuals accounted for 18.6% of the U.S. civilian labor force, totaling about 30.5 million workers
02
The labor force participation rate for foreign-born men aged 16+ was 75.8% in 2022, compared to 68.4% for native-born men
03
Foreign-born women had a labor force participation rate of 57.5% in 2022, higher than the 56.8% for native-born women
04
In 2023, immigrants comprised 18.1% of the U.S. workforce, up from 17.4% in 2020
05
Hispanic immigrants made up 52% of the foreign-born labor force in 2022
06
Asian immigrants represented 28% of the immigrant workforce in 2022
07
In California, immigrants were 34% of the labor force in 2021
08
New York state's immigrant labor force share was 29% in 2021
09
Foreign-born workers aged 25-54 had a participation rate of 78.2% in 2022
10
In 2021, 26.3 million immigrants were in the U.S. labor force
11
Immigrant labor force participation exceeded native-born by 5.1 percentage points in 2021
12
Mexican-born workers were 24% of the foreign-born labor force in 2022
13
In Texas, immigrants formed 27% of the workforce in 2022
14
Florida's immigrant labor force share reached 26% in 2022
15
Foreign-born prime-age men (25-54) had 77.5% participation rate vs. 73.2% for natives in 2023 Q1
16
Undocumented immigrants were estimated at 8.3 million in the labor force in 2022
17
In 2020, immigrants' labor force participation rate was 65.2%, higher than natives' 61.1%
18
Salvadoran immigrants had 70.4% participation rate in 2021
19
Indian immigrants showed 72.1% labor force participation in 2021
20
In Nevada, 23% of the workforce was immigrant in 2022
21
New Jersey's immigrant workforce share was 30% in 2022
22
Foreign-born youth (16-24) participation was 55.3% in 2022
23
In 2023, 32.3 million foreign-born were employed in the U.S.
24
Immigrant women from Sub-Saharan Africa had 68.7% participation in 2021
25
Chinese immigrants comprised 6% of the foreign-born workforce in 2022
26
In Illinois, immigrants were 19% of the labor force in 2021
27
Foreign-born over 55 had 42.1% participation rate in 2022, lower than natives' 40.8%
28
In 2022, 67% of the U.S. labor force growth was due to immigrants
29
Guatemalan immigrants had 69.2% participation in 2021
30
In Arizona, 22% of workforce was immigrant-born in 2022
Interpretation
Labor 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.
05 · Category
Unemployment Rates23 stats
01
Foreign-born unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2023, below natives' 3.6%
02
Immigrant youth unemployment was 10.2% in 2022 vs. natives' 11.5%
03
Undocumented immigrants had 5.1% unemployment in 2022
04
During COVID-19 peak 2020, immigrant unemployment hit 14.7% vs. 12.5% natives
05
Black immigrants' unemployment was 6.1% in 2022
06
Hispanic immigrants had 4.3% unemployment in 2023
07
Asian immigrants unemployment rate 3.1% in 2022, lowest among groups
08
Long-term unemployment for immigrants was 25.3% of total unemployed in 2022
09
In construction, immigrant unemployment was 5.2% in 2022
10
Foreign-born prime-age unemployment 3.2% vs. 3.8% natives in 2023
11
Mexican immigrants unemployment 4.8% in 2022
12
During recovery 2021-2022, immigrants regained jobs faster, unemployment drop 8.5%
13
Immigrant women unemployment 3.7% in 2023
14
In STEM, immigrant unemployment was 2.1% in 2022
15
Undocumented unemployment peaked at 18% in April 2020
16
Naturalized immigrants had 3.0% unemployment vs. 4.2% non-citizens in 2022
17
In California, immigrant unemployment 4.5% vs. state avg 4.2% in 2022
18
Foreign-born over 55 unemployment 3.9% in 2022
19
During 2023 recession fears, immigrants' unemployment stable at 3.5%
20
Indian immigrants unemployment 2.8% in 2022
21
In agriculture, immigrant unemployment was 6.3% in 2022
22
Immigrant underemployment rate was 8.4% in 2021
23
Salvadoran immigrants unemployment 5.4% in 2022
Interpretation
Unemployment 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.
06 · Category
Wages and Earnings27 stats
01
Foreign-born median weekly earnings were $1,043in 2022, 84% of natives' $1,240
02
College-educated immigrants earned $1,656weekly in 2022 vs. $2,056 for natives
03
Less-than-HS immigrants earned $713weekly in 2022, 78% of natives' $913
04
Immigrant men earned 82% of native men's wages in 2022
05
Undocumented immigrants earned 52% less than natives in similar jobs in 2021
06
In 2021, immigrants' median household income was $68,000vs. $72,000 for natives
07
Asian immigrants had median earnings of $1,250weekly in 2022
08
Hispanic immigrants earned $850weekly median in 2022
09
STEM immigrants earned 15% more than natives in STEM in 2021
10
Immigrant women earned 88% of native women's wages in 2022
11
In construction, immigrants earned 10% less than natives in 2021
12
High-skilled H-1B immigrants had wages 20% above natives in tech
13
Mexican immigrants' median wage was $650weekly in 2022
14
Indian immigrants earned $1,800weekly median in 2022
15
Undocumented construction workers earned 42% less in 2021
16
Immigrants with 4+ years college earned 5% more than natives in 2021
17
In 2022, foreign-born full-time workers' earnings rose 4.2% YoY
18
Black immigrants earned $950weekly median in 2022
19
Wage gap for immigrants narrowed to 16% in 2023 from 20% in 2019
20
Naturalized citizens earned 10% more than non-citizens in 2021
21
In hospitality, immigrants earned 15% less per hour in 2022
22
Foreign-born managers earned $1,450weekly in 2022
23
Immigrant hourly wage in agriculture was $14.50in 2022
24
Tech immigrants' wages averaged $120,000annually in 2022
25
Female immigrant physicians earned 92% of native peers in 2021
26
In manufacturing, immigrant wages were 12% below natives' in 2022
27
Salvadoran immigrants' median wage $780weekly in 2021
Interpretation
Wages 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.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Immigrants In The Workforce Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/immigrants-in-the-workforce-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Immigrants In The Workforce Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/immigrants-in-the-workforce-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Immigrants In The Workforce Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/immigrants-in-the-workforce-statistics.
Sources & references
34 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level