South Carolina Primary: Immigrants in the Palmetto State
Date: February 19, 2016
This Saturday, Republicans in South Carolina will head to the polls to cast their primary votes. The Palmetto State is home to a small, but rapidly growing, foreign-born population. Although just 4.8 percent of the state’s population is foreign-born, this group grew by over 90 percent between 2000 and 2013.
In advance of the vote, learn about some of the ways that South Carolina’s immigrant population contributes to the state’s economy.
Business
There are almost 12,000 immigrant-owned businesses in South Carolina, generating $521.9 million in income each year.
Manufacturing
Between 2000 and 2010, immigrants created or preserved 4,322 manufacturing jobs in South Carolina.
Healthcare
In 2012, 14.3 percent of doctors in South Carolina had graduated from a foreign medical school.
STEM fields
Immigrants play a key role in the Palmetto State’s STEM fields: In 2013, 42.8 percent of STEM graduates from the state’s most-research intensive schools were foreign-born.
To learn more, check out our interactive map, which shows how immigrants impact state economies across the country.
