The Geography of Immigrant Skills: Educational Profiles of Metropolitan Areas

The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program has released a report on the education and skill levels of working-age immigrants in the 100 largest metros that challenges some conventional notions about how immigrants contribute to the American economy. Among the key findings:

· Despite the perception that most immigrants are poorly-educated, high-skilled immigrants now outnumber low-skilled immigrants in America.

· High-skilled immigrants are more likely to be under-employed, while low-skilled immigrants tend to have higher rates of employment and lower individual earnings than their native-born counterparts.

· While immigrants’ skill levels vary in different metros, 44 of the nation’s 100 largest metros are destination points for high-skilled immigrants. These include places like Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, as well as Albany, Buffalo and Cleveland.

KJ