Ten Economic Facts About Immigration

Mar 21, 2011

The Hamilton Project, part of the Brookings Institution, published a paper in the fall of 2010 that present ten facts about immigrants and the economy. We encourage you to read the full report here.

1. Today's immigrants hail from more diverse backgrounds than they did a century ago.

2. Immigrants bring a diverse set of skills and educational backgrounds.

3. On average, immigrants improve the living standards of Americans.

4. Immigrants are not a net drain on the federal government budget.

5. Both immigration enforcement funding and the number of unauthorized immigrants have increased since 2003.

6. Immigrants do not disproportionately burden U.S. correction facilities and institutions.

7. Recent immigrants reflect America's melting pot.

8. The skill composition of U.S. immigrants differs from that of other countries.

9. Immigrants start businesses and file patents at higher rates than U.S.-born citizens.

10. America is issuing a declining number of visas for high-skilled workers.