Immigration politics aside, experts say migrants coming through our borders play a crucial role for U.S. businesses and the economy.
According to newly released census data, net immigration to the U.S. hit a 22-year high of 1.14 million last year.
That wave has not only given the U.S. a population boost but also helped fuel the nation’s workforce. This is especially important in California, as it has been losing many residents to other states.
According to Brookings Institution, California’s overall population, which lost over 75,000 people last year, would have fallen more than 225,000 — if not for international migration.
A job-ready Ukrainian migrant
“I’m like a person who doesn't like to get benefits or get other stuff,” said Ruslan Pisliakov, a Ukrainian migrant. “I’m young. I’m strong. I have enough force to make some achievements and impact. So it was my goal to find a job.”
Pisliakov and his family left Ukraine nearly two years ago after the Russo-Ukrainian War started. Now, he works as an assurance engineer for a tech company in San Diego.
California
Foreign-born people drive growth of American labor force
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows foreign-born people accounted for more than 60% of the country’s labor force growth last year.
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“Migrant innovation in the tech sector and software helps all these downstream sectors and has been driving U.S. productivity goals for a long time,” said Gaurav Khanna, Assistant Professor of Economics at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego.
Khanna says apart from contributing with new ideas, immigrants can help fill the gap of labor shortages.
“When there are labor shortages, then wage growth goes up a lot and that's what has been happening over the last couple of years,” said Khanna.
And the more people fill jobs, the less prices go up, he says.
“So in general, the research has been quite positive on the impacts of migrants on the economy as a whole but politically, that's been a tougher conversation to have,” said Khanna.
Immigration remains a divisive issue, especially as hundreds of thousands of migrants make their way through our southern border.
“The majority of Ukrainians have the mindset of finding a job,” said Pisliakov. “They don't need benefits, they need opportunities. I’m 100% they have a strong desire to make an impact in the U.S.”
Most say they're determined to work, unwittingly fueling the economy.
