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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 Share | U.S.-Born Population Share |
---|---|---|
0-15 | 2.4% | 17.9% |
16-64 | 81.9% | 61.6% |
65+ | 15.7% | 20.5% |
Immigrant households contribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal income, state, and local taxes nationwide 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 in 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 extra cost of additional public services they incur.
Immigrant Household Income | $903.7M |
Taxes Paid | $245.6M |
— State & Local Taxes | $75.2M |
— Federal Taxes | $170.4M |
Total Spending Power | $658.1M |
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 market. Nationally, immigrants are more likely to hold an advanced degree than the U.S.-born. They are also more likely to have less than a high school education. Uniquely, this allows them to fill critical shortages at both ends of the skill spectrum, from high-tech fields to agriculture, hospitality, and service industries.
Workforce Education | Foreign-Born Population | U.S.-Born Population |
---|---|---|
Less Than High School | 16.4% | 12.9% |
High School & Some College | 41.2% | 66.0% |
Bachelor's Degree | 17.9% | 12.9% |
Graduate Degree | 24.6% | 8.3% |
Immigrant families have long played an important role helping to build housing wealth in the United States. In recent decades, the more than 40 million immigrants collectively in the country increased U.S. housing wealth by $3.7 trillion. Much of this was possible because immigrants moved into neighborhoods once in decline, helping to revitalize communities and make them more attractive to U.S.-born residents.
Immigrant homeowners | 6,625 |
Housing wealth held by immigrant households | $1.8B |
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.
Students at West Virginia colleges and universities who are international students | 3,680 |
Economic contribution of international students | $116.1M |
Jobs supported by international students | 1,052 |
As more immigrants naturalize and become eligible to vote, they continue to gain power at the voting booth. The number of immigrant voters is only projected to rise in the next decade, but already in some states, foreign-born voters are already capable of deciding elections.
Immigrants eligible to vote | 13,669 |
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New American Economy is a bipartisan research and advocacy organization fighting for smart federal, state, and local immigration policies that help grow our economy and create jobs for all Americans. More…
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