The Economic Integration of Immigrants in the United States: Long- and Short-Term Perspectives

Immigrants and their children represent a large and growing share of the country’s workforce, and thus are set to play a significant role in the US economy in coming decades. The United States has traditionally provided excellent economic opportunities for generations of immigrants, who tend to experience low unemployment and high rates of labor participation, even if many are concentrated in low-wage or low-skill occupations. However, the 2007-09 economic crisis accentuated their vulnerabilities in the labor market, and there is a risk that the global economic crisis and slow recovery could realign the social and economic forces that have in the past assisted immigrants in their upward socioeconomic mobility.

In a new report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), The Economic Integration of Immigrants in the United States: Long- and Short-Term Perspectives, MPI Policy Analyst Aaron Terrazas examines the trend of immigrant integration in the US labor force and the potential fallout from the economic crisis. The report finds that historically, in the absence of explicit government policies integrating newcomers, the workplace has acted as a powerful immigrant-integration institution — although it is unclear whether this approach can be relied upon to ensure good economic integration in the future.

KJ