Hit Hard but Bouncing Back: The Employment of Immigrants During the Great Recession and the Recovery

This Urban Institute report by Maria E. Enchautegui observes that, during the Great Recession immigrants lost more employment, relative to their initial employment level, than U.S.-born workers. During the recovery, immigrants gained more employment than U.S-born workers. The employment gains of immigrants during the recovery spread among all educational groups except those with no high school diploma. Among U.S.-born workers, only those with Bachelor’s degree or more gained employment. By mid-2012, the employment of both immigrants and U.S.-born workers were still below the pre-recession level.

KJ