Report Finds Strong Immigrant Contribution to GDP

The Fiscal Policy Institute announced that its new report (pdf) found that in the United States’ 25 largest metropolitan areas, immigrants both documented and undocumented contribute to the economy in very close proportion to their share of the population. Foreign-born workers comprise approximately 20% of the U.S. population, and the study found that they are responsible for an equal percentage of economic output.

The report estimated immigrant share of GDP in metropolitan areas based on wage and salary earnings plus proprietors' income. The geographic area studied accounts for more than half of the U.S.’s gross domestic product and two-thirds of all immigrants. The report found that areas with the largest increase in immigrant share of the labor force experienced the fastest economic growth.

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