Center for Migration Studies: The Importance of Immigrant Labor to the US Economy

The nation celebrated Labor Day yesterday, with a day off marking the end of summer and many barbecues.  Kevin Appleby for the Center on Migration Studies offered facts and perspectives on the importance of immigrant labor to the U.S. economy. 

Appleby cautions that am mass deportation of undocumented workers “would cause a severe strain on US citizens, as labor shortages would accrue and inflation would rise. Moreover, federal, state, and local budgets would be reduced, as taxes paid by undocumented workers would be lost, including their contributions to the Social Security and Medicare systems.”

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, foreign-born workers, including the undocumented, accounted for 18.6 percent, or 29.1 million, of the US labor force, up from 18.1 percent in 2022. The labor force participation rate of the foreign-born increased to 66.6 percent, almost five percent higher than the native-born population (61.8 percent).

Foreign-born workers were mainly employed in service occupations, construction, transportation, and material moving occupations, with native-born workers employed in management, professional, and sales and office occupations, making their roles in the labor force largely complementary. 

KJ