Percentage Of Foreign-Born Workers In U.S. More Than Tripled Since 1970

The percentage of foreign-born workers in the U.S. labor force has more than tripled over the last four decades and while the U.S. represents just 5 percent of the world’s population it attracts 20 percent of the world’s immigrants, according to a new report.

The Migration Policy Institute has released its most recent compilation of immigration statistics in the U.S. The report offers comprehensive data on immigration patterns and population data culled largely from government data.

According to the report, looking at data up to 2013, U.S. immigrants and their U.S.-born children account for about 25 percent of the total U.S. population, or about 80 million people. Further, the raw number of immigrants in the U.S. was at an all time high of 41.3 million, up 523,000 or 1.3 percent from 2012 to 2013.

The report explains that along with the increase in immigration over the past several decades, the share of immigrant workers also increased.

“Immigrants accounted for nearly 17 percent (26.2 million) of the 158.6 million workers in the civilian labor force in 2013,” the report reads. “Between 1970 and 2013, the percentage of foreign-born workers in the civilian labor force more than tripled, from 5 percent to 17 percent. Over the same period, the foreign-born share of the total population grew from almost 5 percent to 13 percent.”

In 2013, immigrants from Mexico were the largest immigrant group in the U.S. numbering nearly 11.6 million and accounting for 28 percent of the immigrants in the U.S. India was the second largest accounting for about 5 percent.

Chinese immigrants also made up about 5 percent as well. The Philippines placed fourth (4 percent), followed by Vietnam, El Salvador, Cuba, and Korea (all with about 3 percent). Dominican Republic and Guatemala rounded out the top ten (both made up about 2 percent).

Other findings from the report include:

-In 2014, 17.4 million children under 18 lived with at least one foreign-born parent, or 25 percent of the total population of children under 18 (69.9 million) in the U.S.

-The number of refugees admitted to the U.S. increased nearly 20 percent from 2012 to 2013.  In 2013, 69,909 refugees were admitted to the United States, a roughly 20 percent increase from 2012 (when 58,179 were admitted)

-In 2013 there were 11.4 million illegal immigrants. Most of who resided in California (28 percent), Texas (13 percent), New York (8 percent), and Florida (6 percent).