After the epidemic, the strong immigrant labor force in the United States has supported a strong job market. As Americans gradually exit the labor force and birth rates remain low, economists and the Federal Reserve are touting the importance of immigrant workers to overall economic growth in the future.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, immigrant workers made up 18.6% of the workforce last year, setting a new record. Workers are seeking open positions in agriculture, technology and health care, where labor supply is a challenge for those looking to recruit.
Although the United States has added Lower than expected The labor force participation rate among foreign-born workers increased slightly in April, reaching 66%.
“We don’t have enough workers participating in the labor market, our birth rate fell 2% last year from 2022 to 2023. … These people are not taking jobs. They are helping to support and help us rebuild — they are adding to the workforce. needed workers,” said Jennie Murray, CEO of the National Immigration Forum, a nonpartisan nonprofit advocacy group.
Congressional Budget Office Director Phillip Swagel said in a statement in February that the influx of immigrant workers will also boost U.S. output growth and is expected to boost gross domestic product over the next decade. GDP) grew by $7 trillion. Congressional Budget Office Outlook 2024-2034.
“The labor force will grow by 5.2 million people by 2033, mainly due to increased net migration. As a result of these changes in the labor force, we estimate that GDP will increase by approximately $7 trillion from 2023 to 2034, and income will increase by approximately $7 trillion. Dollar.
‘Big competition’
Goodwin Living is a nonprofit faith-based senior care facility in northern Virginia that cares for 2,500 adults daily and relies heavily on immigrant workers. Chief Executive Rob Liebreich said about 40% of its 1,200 employees are foreign-born and come from 65 countries, and more workers will be needed to fill the growing gap as Americans age and need assistance.
“About 70 percent of 65-year-olds anticipate needing long-term care in the future. We need a lot of people to support those needs,” Liebreich told CNBC. “Right now, we think one of the best ways to find that is through people from other countries, our global talent, and there’s huge competition for them.”
In 2018, Goodwin launched the Citizenship Program to provide financial resources, guidance and coaching to workers looking to obtain U.S. citizenship. So far, 160 workers and 25 of their family members have obtained citizenship or are in the process of obtaining citizenship through Goodwin.
Wilner Vialer, 35, started working at Goodwin four years ago as an environmental services team leader, responsible for furnishing and cleaning rooms. Viale, who came to the United States from Haiti 13 years ago, lost his job during the pandemic, but was offered a job at the Goodwin plant because his mother worked there.
The nonprofit said he applied for U.S. citizenship before getting his current job, but the Goodwin Life Foundation paid his $725 application fee after he had worked there for six months. Viale became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and his 15-year-old daughter received a citizenship grant and became a U.S. citizen in 2023.
Viale hopes his wife will join the family from Haiti, since they have been separated for six years.
“This project is a great opportunity,” Viale said. “They help me, I have family back home… the job really supports me when I get paid to help them get back home.”
Liebreich said workers were not required to stay at Goodwin after becoming U.S. citizens, but those who stayed stayed at Goodwin 20 percent longer than those who did not participate in the program. He added that expediting citizenship is key to remaining competitive in the global economy.
“If we want to attract and retain the global workforce we desperately need, we need to make the process easier,” Librich said.
Looking ahead to November, immigration will be a hot topic among presidential campaigns and voters. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both traveled to the southern border in recent months to address the large influx of migrants entering the country.
