Immigration and its contribution to our economic strength

Immigrants’ contributions to the economy

A growing economy attracts immigrants, and immigration, in turn, makes the economy grow. Immigrants contribute to the economy as workers, as consumers, and as taxpayers. Immigrants fill vital niches in the labor market; they go where the jobs are; they contribute to innovation and business creation; they revitalize declining areas; and they slow the aging of the American workforce.


First, immigration increases the labor force, which makes the economy bigger.  Foreign-born workers comprise about 16 percent of the workforce, and immigrants account for nearly one-half of U.S. labor force growth since the mid-1990s.