Share of Immigrants in U.S. Labor Force Continues to Rise

According to Census survey data from 2004-2016, the share of immigrant workers in the U.S. construction industry's labor force has been rising post-recession, and accounts for the highest share recorded -- nearly one in four workers.

The share of foreign-born workers increased notably during the housing boom (2004-2007), when construction trades were impacted by a widespread labor shortage. The share increased from less than 20 percent in 2004 to almost 23 percent in 2007. The National Association of Home Builders attributes the current, continued rise to "A slow, delayed, and reluctant post-recession return of native-born workers, underlying the shift toward the higher reliance on immigrants in the construction work force."

Even though the share of immigrants in construction is now at its highest since ... 2004, and their number exceeds 2.5 million, this is still almost 200,000 immigrants (5 percent) fewer than in 2007. The flow of new immigrants into the construction work force is also significantly slower compared to the housing boom years. Less than 60,000 new immigrants entered the construction industry in 2015. In comparison, over 130,000 new immigrants were joining the construction labor force annually in 2004 and 2005.

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