Immigrants are an essential element in keeping the American economy strong, from fast food businesses to high-tech industry, they are filling an intrinsic need in the labor force.

"From programmers in Silicon Alley to restaurant bus boys in Bethesda, MD and nurses in New York, immigrants are filling jobs that otherwise might go begging." (Business Week, "How Immigrants Keep the Hive Humming")

The U.S. government has forecast a shortage of 20 million workers by 2026, prompting many parties to call for a relaxation of the US immigration laws in order to meet the labor demand.

Fact 1

Immigrants are significantly more likely to be self employed than natives. The Horatio Alger story of making good in the "New World" has carried on in the proliferation of family owned businesses such as the Korean corner store or the Hispanic Bodega.

Fact 2

In the last decade hi-tech professional immigrants have made extraordinary contributions to cutting edge US industries. It is estimated that almost one quarter of Silicon valley firms were established by immigrants. Immigrant entrepreneurs have revitalized neighborhood; from Dominicans in Manhattan's Washington Heights to Cubans in Miami's Little Havana, Hispanic immigrants have transformed their communities into thriving economically dynamic strongholds.

Fact 3

Of particular note is the resurgence of small business, which thirty years ago was in decay. Several researchers have suggested that US immigration has encouraged the entrepreneurial drive of the total population, significantly contributing to this transformation. As an example the proportion of Cuban owned businesses in Miami from 1993 to 2000 rose from 8 to 24 percent.

Fact 4

The proportion of immigrants with bachelor 's or postgraduate degrees is much higher than the proportion of the native labor force.

Fact 5

First and second generation immigrant children do unusually well in school. They win a disproportionate amount of scholastic prizes.

Fact 6

Immigrants do not cause native unemployment, even among low -paid or minority groups. New immigrants create jobs with their purchasing power and with the new businesses they start.

Fact 7

Illegal aliens contribute about as much to the public treasury in taxes as they receive in benefits. New data suggests the undocumented pay about 46 percent as much in taxes as do natives, but use about 45 percent as much in services.

Fact 8

According to the most comprehensive study ever done on immigrants, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) found that in all their combined roles, immigrants make indispensable contributions to our economy. They compose an increasingly essential proportion of our workforce. Through their tax payments, they help finance the costs of schools, health care, roads, welfare payments, Social Security, and the nation’s defense. Of course, immigrants are also users and beneficiaries of these government programs.

Fact 9

Businesses founded by immigrants are a source of substantial economic and fiscal gain for U.S. citizens. Ten high-tech firms founded by immigrants (Intel, Sun Microsystems, Computer Associates, Solectron Lam Research, LSI Logic, AST Computer, Wang Laboratories, Amtel, and Cypress Semiconductor) generated $31 billion in revenues in 2002. These and other businesses started by immigrants add at least another $29 billion to the total amount of taxes paid by immigrants.

Fact 10

With the U.S. economy in the midst of its longest expansion in history, immigrant workers are increasingly essential to filling jobs ranging from computer programmers to hotel and restaurant workers. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly commented that US immigration is an important source of workers in a tight labor market.

Fact 11

Most immigrants arrive in the United States in the prime of their working years. More than 70 percent of immigrants are over the age of 18 when they arrive in the United States. That means there are roughly 17.5 million immigrants in the United States today whose education and upbringing were paid for by the citizens of the sending country, not American taxpayers. The windfall to the United States of obtaining this human capital at no expense to American taxpayers is roughly $1.43 trillion. This makes immigrants a fiscal bargain for our country.

Sources:
Rapid Immigration
Business Week, "How Immigrants Keep the Hive Humming"
National Immigration Forum
The Demographic and Economic Facts