There were 40.7 million immigrants living in the United States in 2012. Of these, 11.7 million were “unauthorized.” That total is up from 19.8 million in 1990. Almost all immigrants live in 15 states, which gives these states a boost in labor force, but it may also drive unemployment higher, along with the need for social services. However, skilled immigrants may add to the most skilled part of the workforce.
The Pew Research Center points out in a new study:
Over this period, the number of immigrants in the U.S. increased more than five times as much as the U.S.-born population (106.1% versus 19.3%), according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. As a result, from 1990 to 2012, the share of immigrants in the entire U.S. increased from 7.9% in 1990 to 13.0% in 2012.
And:
Today there are four states in which about one-in-five or more people are foreign born — California, New York, New Jersey and Florida.
The top 15 states where California, New York, New Jersey, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Arizona, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington and Virginia.
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Several pieces of research indicate that the presence of immigrants in the larger population may help the U.S. employment and consumer economies. A Brookings study showed:
Although many are concerned that immigrants compete against Americans for jobs, the most recent economic evidence suggests that, on average, immigrant workers increase the opportunities and incomes of Americans. Based on a survey of the academic literature, economists do not tend to find that immigrants cause any sizeable decrease in wages and employment of U.S.-born citizens, and instead may raise wages and lower prices in the aggregate. One reason for this effect is that immigrants and U.S.-born workers generally do not compete for the same jobs; instead, many immigrants complement the work of U.S. employees and increase their productivity. For example, low-skilled immigrant laborers allow U.S.-born farmers, contractors, and craftsmen to expand agricultural production or to build more homes—thereby expanding employment possibilities and incomes for U.S. workers. Another way in which immigrants help U.S. workers is that businesses adjust to new immigrants by opening stores, restaurants, or production facilities to take advantage of the added supply of workers; more workers translate into more business.
As the percentage of the total population that are immigrants grows rapidly, the net effects may be counterintuitive.
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