People walk past the newly opened Grand Central Madison Station in Manhattan on February 27, 2023 in New York City.
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After the epidemic, the strong immigrant labor force in the United States has supported a strong job market. As Americans gradually exit the labor force and birth rates remain low, economists and the Federal Reserve are touting the importance of immigrant workers to overall economic growth going forward.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, immigrant workers made up 18.6% of the workforce last year, setting a new record. Workers are seeking open positions in agriculture, technology and health care, where labor supply is a challenge for those looking to recruit.
Although the number of new jobs created in the United States in April was lower than expected, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born workers increased slightly to 66%.
“We don’t have enough workers participating in the labor market, our birth rate dropped 2% last year from 2022 to 2023. … These people are not taking jobs. They are helping to support and help us rebuild — they” Nonpartisan Nonprofit “We are adding the workers we need to the workforce,” said Jennie Murray, chief executive of the National Immigration Forum, an advocacy group.
Congressional Budget Office Director Phillip Swagel said in a statement in February that the influx of immigrant workers will also boost U.S. output growth and is expected to boost gross domestic product over the next decade. GDP) grew by $7 trillion. Congressional Budget Office Outlook 2024-2034.
“The labor force will grow by 5.2 million people by 2033, mainly due to increased net migration. As a result of these changes in the labor force, we estimate that GDP will increase by approximately $7 trillion from 2023 to 2034, and income will increase by approximately $7 trillion. Dollar.
‘Big competition’
Goodwin Living, a nonprofit faith-based senior care facility in northern Virginia that cares for 2,500 seniors daily, relies heavily on immigrant workers. Chief Executive Rob Liebreich said about 40% of its 1,200 employees are foreign-born and come from 65 countries, and more workers will be needed to fill the growing gap as Americans age and need assistance.
“About 70 percent of 65-year-olds anticipate needing long-term care in the future. We need a lot of people to support those needs,” Liebreich told CNBC. “Right now, we think one of the best ways to find that is through people from other countries, our global talent, and there’s huge competition for them.”
In 2018, Goodwin launched the Citizenship Program to provide financial resources, guidance and coaching to workers looking to obtain U.S. citizenship. So far, 160 team members and an additional 25 family members have obtained citizenship or are in the process of obtaining citizenship through Goodwin.
Wilner Vialer, 35, started working at Goodwin four years ago as an environmental services team leader, responsible for furnishing and cleaning rooms. Viale, who came to the United States from Haiti 13 years ago, lost his job during the pandemic, but was offered a job at the Goodwin plant because his mother worked there.
The nonprofit said he applied for U.S. citizenship before getting his current job, but after working there for six months, the Goodwin Living Foundation paid his $725 application fee. Viale became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and his 15-year-old daughter received a citizenship grant and became a U.S. citizen in 2023.
Viale hopes his wife will join the family from Haiti, since they have been separated for six years.
“This project is a great opportunity,” Viale said. “They help me, I have family back home… the job really supports me when I get paid to help them get back home.”
Team members are not required to remain at the agency after becoming U.S. citizens, but those who stay at Goodwin stay 20 percent longer than those who do not participate in the program, Liebreich said. He added that expediting citizenship is key to remaining competitive in the global economy.
“If we want to attract and retain the global workforce we desperately need, we need to make the process easier,” Liebreich said.
Looking ahead to November, immigration will be a hot topic among presidential campaigns and voters. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both traveled to the southern border in recent months to address the large influx of migrants entering the country.
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