People walk through the newly opened Grand Central Madison train station in Manhattan on February 27, 2023 in New York City.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
A strong post-pandemic job market has been bolstered by the strength of America's immigrant workforce. As Americans exit the labor force as they age and birth rates remain low, economists and the Federal Reserve tout the importance of immigrant workers for overall future economic growth.
Immigrant workers made up 18.6% of the workforce last year, a new record, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers hold open positions in agriculture, technology and health care, fields where labor supply has been a challenge for those looking to hire.
Although the United States added fewer jobs than expected in April, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born workers rose slightly, to 66%.
“We don't have enough workers participating in the labor force and our birth rate dropped 2% last year from 2022 to 2023. … These people are not taking jobs. They are helping strengthen us and helping us rebuild — said Jenny Murray, president Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization: “They are adding needed workers to the workforce.”
The influx of migrant workers is also an expected boost to U.S. output, and gross domestic product over the next decade is expected to grow by $7 trillion, Congressional Budget Office Director Philip Swagel noted in a February statement accompanying the CBO's 2024-2034 outlook.
“The 2033 labor force will be 5.2 million people larger, mostly due to higher net migration. As a result of these labor force changes, we estimate that from 2023 to 2034, GDP and revenues will be $7 trillion larger,” he wrote. Swagel: “It will be about $1 trillion larger than it otherwise would be, and we continue to evaluate the impacts of immigration on revenues and spending.”
“Huge competition”
Goodwin Living, a faith-based nonprofit senior care facility in Northern Virginia that cares for 2,500 adults a day, relies heavily on migrant workers. About 40% of its 1,200 workers are foreign-born, representing 65 countries, according to CEO Rob Liebrich, and more workers will be needed to fill growing gaps as Americans age and need help.
“About 70% of 65-year-olds are expected to need long-term care in the future. We need a lot of hands to support these needs,” Liebrich told CNBC. “Right now, one of the best ways we see to find that is through people coming from other countries, our global talent, and there's a lot of competition for them.”
In 2018, Goodwin launched the Citizenship Program, which provides financial resources, mentorship and tutoring to workers looking to obtain US citizenship. So far, 160 workers and 25 of their family members have obtained citizenship or are in the process of doing so through Goodwin.
Wilner Vialer, 35, started working at Goodwin four years ago and works as a leader on the environmental services team, where he prepares and cleans rooms. Vialer, who came to the United States 13 years ago from Haiti, lost his job during the pandemic and got an opportunity at Goodwin because his mother worked at the facility.
He applied for U.S. citizenship before taking his current job, but after working there for six months, the Goodwin Living Foundation covered his $725 application fee, the nonprofit said. Vialer became a US citizen in 2021, and his 15-year-old daughter was granted citizenship and became a US citizen in 2023.
Vialer hopes that his wife will join his family from Haiti, as they have been separated for six years.
“This program is a good opportunity,” Vialer said. “They help me, I have family back home… This job really supports me when I get my salary to help them back home.”
Workers are not required to stay with Goodwin after they become U.S. citizens, but those who stay there are 20% longer than those who don't participate in the program, Liebrich said. He added that accelerating the path to citizenship is key to maintaining competitiveness in the global economy.
“If we want to attract and retain this global workforce, which we desperately need, we need to make the process much easier,” Liebrich said.
Looking ahead to November, immigration will be a hot topic on the presidential campaign trail and for voters. Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have made trips to the southern border in recent months to process the large number of migrants entering the country.
