Comparison of Sociodemographic Characteristics of Native- and Foreign-Born Adults in the United States
The Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy has released a set of state-level fact sheets examining key characteristics of adult native- and foreign-born populations and the relevance of these characteristics to implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
The fact sheets—the second set released in this series—provide estimates of the ages, origins (by region), educational attainment, English proficiency, skill underutilization, parental status, poverty, health insurance coverage, and immigration status of residents ages 16 and older in ten states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Policies guiding WIOA’s implementation will have a significant impact on the ability of immigrants and refugees to access and benefit from our country’s adult education and workforce training programs. Given the importance of these services to immigrants’ upward mobility and the economic dynamism of the communities in which they reside, it is crucial for states to ensure equitable access to the law’s services—especially for individuals with low levels of literacy and English proficiency.
The fact sheets can serve as a roadmap to identify key concerns at stake in the law’s implementation, and a source of objective data to assist policymakers and community stakeholders in ensuring equitable implementation of the law.
Fact sheets in the series—now covering the 20 states with the largest numbers of immigrant and refugee residents—can be accessed here.
KJ