NAE Report Shows Significant Role of Immigrants In Construction and Industrial Industries

A recent report by New American Economy detailed the significant role immigrants play in the workforces of the US construction and infrastructure-related industries.

For example, while making up 24.8% of all construction workers, foreign-born workers make up an even larger share of workers in certain fields of construction, like roofers (46.3%) and painters and paperhangers (45.1%).

These percentages seem especially large when considering that immigrants make up only 13.7% of the US population.

It is worth noting that construction is an industry that continuously faces workforce shortages. The harder the industry struggles to find workers, the more it raises costs for public and private infrastructure. Almost every American pays for public and private infrastructure, whether through paying taxes that go towards building schools and roads, or buying or renting homes.

Through their critical role in construction and industrial workforces, immigrants benefit not only the industry, but every tax and rent payer in America.