Immigrants are, apparently, absolutely terrifying. According to Gallup, Americans named immigration the most important problem facing the country (28%), beating out the government (20%) and the economy (12%). And let’s be perfectly clear, the émigrés driving all this concern aren’t Swedish tech workers. They’re largely brown, Spanish-speaking folks seeking better lives. It’s therefore wild to think that migrants will grow the economy by an additional $7 trillion over the next decade.
“Dey took ‘er jerbs!” scream hundreds of electoral candidates at all levels of government and their frothing supporters. “Build the wall! Keep them out! Send them back!” However, according to the Kellogg School of Management, immigrants are 80% more likely to start businesses than native-born citizens, thereby producing more and higher-paying jobs. 8 million additional jobs, in fact.
Developed countries around the world—from Japan to Korea, France, Russia, and China—face declining birth rates and corresponding economic stagnation. Simply put, as people earn more money and the cost of living increases, everyone has less babies. The United States, however, replenishes its native-born population’s low birth rate with millions of immigrants every year, giving it a massive economic and geopolitical advantage over adversaries, allies, and competitors, alike. Moreover, those immigrants provide a disproportionate number of nurses, home health aides, and other support staff native-born U.S. citizens depend on as they age.
Between 2023 and 2024, immigrants accounted for a full 50% of the labor market’s astronomical growth in the form of 2.7 million new jobs and a 4.1% increase in hourly earnings. So, while politicians and their xenophobic constituents dehumanize, malign, and persecute immigrants in this country, those same migrants will keep driving the country’s economy and international primacy. You’re welcome, America.
