1. Immigration Boosts Job Creation
- Countries with more immigrants tend to experience faster GDP growth:
- In the U.S., immigrants contributed $579 billion in taxes in 2022 (federal, state, and local taxes) (source: American Immigration Council).
- UK government projections: A 350,000 increase in net migration will reduce borrowing by around £7.4 billion ($9.1 billion) by 2028 (source: UK Government Office for Budget Responsibility).
2. Immigrants Do Not Displace Native Workers
- Studies show that immigration doesn’t lower employment for local workers. Instead, it contributes to a growing economy:
- In the U.S., foreign-born workers make up 17% of the workforce, but contribute 25% of GDP growth (source: National Academy of Sciences).
- Immigrants often fill jobs native workers are unwilling to take: Studies show that lower-skilled immigrants typically take jobs that involve night shifts, long hours, or physical labor that many local workers avoid.
3. Immigration Has Little to No Impact on Wages
- Immigration has a neutral effect on wages for native workers:
- Research by George Borjas (Harvard economist) found that immigration’s impact on local wages tends to cluster around zero, meaning it neither drives wages down nor up significantly in most cases (source: George Borjas, Harvard University).
- In a 2021 study, the Economic Policy Institute found that the wage impact on native-born workers due to immigration was small or negligible, especially for high-skilled workers.
4. Immigrants Actually Raise Wages for Some Groups
- Immigrants boost wages for non-college-educated workers:
- In the U.S., immigration has increased the wages of non-college-educated workers over the past 20 years (source: National Academy of Sciences).
- For example, immigrants’ role in child care and elder care has helped local workers increase their participation in the labor force. Affordable child care made possible by immigrant workers has allowed more women to join the workforce.
5. Immigrant Entrepreneurs Drive Job Growth
- Immigrants start businesses at higher rates:
- Immigrants are 80% more likely to start a business than native-born citizens (source: National Bureau of Economic Research).
- In the U.S., half of all venture capital-backed companies in Silicon Valley have at least one immigrant founder (source: Partnership for a New American Economy).
- Immigrants founded 55% of all U.S. “unicorn” companies (startups valued at $1 billion or more) (source: National Venture Capital Association).
6. Myth of “Immigrants Taking Jobs”
- Immigrants do not take jobs from native-born workers:
- Unemployment among Black Americans remains at historic lows, even with rising immigration. For example, Black unemployment hit a record low of 5.4% in 2022 (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Studies show that immigrants contribute to job creation rather than job loss. For instance, in California, which has one of the highest immigrant populations, the unemployment rate is lower than the national average.
Key Takeaway:
- Immigrants help grow the economy, increase job opportunities, and have little to no negative impact on wages for native workers.
- Anti-immigrant claims about job theft and wage reduction are not supported by data.
- In 2022, immigrants contributed $1.6 trillion to U.S. consumption of goods and services (source: National Academy of Sciences), highlighting their significant economic role.