Last night’s State of the Union, as well as the rebuttal, spoke to a bilateral desire to achieve immigration reform. As legislation moves forward, facts and figures continue to be presented about immigrants and their contributions to the U.S. economy. This fact sheet—the first in our series on immigrants and the economy—provides key data points and is intended to be a resource for journalists, policymakers, business leaders, and others. It is a product of the AS/COA Hispanic Integration and Immigration Initiative, which promotes positive dialogue around the economic contributions of immigrants and Latinos across the United States.
The fact sheet provides key data points on these five reasons why the U.S. economy needs immigrants:
1. Immigrants are more likely to be entrepreneurial and to start new businesses, which, in turn, create jobs for U.S.-born workers.
2. Both high- and low-skilled immigrant labor creates additional jobs across the U.S. economy.
3. Immigrants boost tax revenue, enlarge the taxpayer base, and help to keep down the price of goods.
4. As baby boomers retire, immigrants will be increasingly critical for continued economic growth and for ensuring a steady flow of new workers.
5. The majority of immigrants in the U.S. today are from Latin America, representing a huge potential economic opportunity due to the region’s burgeoning economic standing.
Read more here from Americas Society
