Aside from immigration policy, experts say migrants coming across our borders play a critical role in U.S. businesses and the economy.
Net immigration to the U.S. reached 1.14 million last year, the highest in 22 years, according to newly released census data.
This wave not only gave the U.S. a population boost, but also helped boost the country's workforce. This is particularly important for California, which has lost many residents to other states.
According to the Brookings Institution, California's total population, which lost over 75,000 people last year, would have declined by more than 225,000 without international migration.
A Ukrainian migrant ready to work
“I'm like someone who doesn't get benefits or other things,” said Ruslan Pisliakov, a Ukrainian migrant. “I'm young. I'm strong. I have enough strength to achieve some success and impact. That's why my goal was to find a job.”
Pislyakov and his family left Ukraine almost two years ago after the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War. He now works as an insurance engineer for a technology company in San Diego.
Foreign-born people are driving the growth of the American workforce
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that foreign-born people accounted for more than 60% of the country's workforce growth last year.
“Migrant innovations in technology and software help all of these downstream sectors and have long advanced U.S. productivity goals,” said Gaurav Khanna, assistant professor of economics at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.
Khanna says immigrants can not only bring new ideas but also help fill the labor shortage gap.
“When there is a labor shortage, wage growth rises sharply, and that is exactly what has happened in the last few years,” Khanna said.
And the more people fill jobs, the less prices rise, he says.
“In general, the research on the impact of migrants on the economy as a whole has been quite positive, but politically it has been a more difficult discussion,” Khanna said.
Immigration remains a contentious issue, especially as hundreds of thousands of migrants pour across our southern border.
“The majority of Ukrainians have the mindset of finding a job,” Pisliakov said. “They don’t need advantages, they need opportunities. I have 100% confidence that they have a strong desire to make a difference in the United States.”
Most say they are determined to work and inadvertently stimulate the economy.
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