Business and the Workforce

What role do immigrants play in American business and the American workforce? Immigrants work in a range of skilled positions in the U.S. and start businesses that boost the American economy. Learn more about immigrant entrepreneurship and workforce participation.

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  • Research and Analysis

Building a Competitive Workforce: Immigration and the U.S. Manufacturing Sector

Publication Date: 
August 1, 2006
Shortages of skilled labor constitute the foremost challenge confronting U.S. manufacturers who face growing competition from manufacturers in Asia, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere. Demand for...
  • Special Report

Guest Workers Program with a Path to Legalization

Publication Date: 
April 1, 2006
As we have seen in the last month, segments of the United States media, policy leaders, and populace continue to be obsessed with the issue of undocumented immigration to the United States. Turn...
  • Fact Sheet

No Way In: U.S. Immigration Policy Leaves Few Legal Options for Mexican Workers

Publication Date: 
July 1, 2005
Current immigration policies are completely out of sync with the U.S. economy’s demand for workers who fill less-skilled jobs, especially in the case of Mexican workers. While U.S. immigration...
  • Fact Sheet

The Economics of Necessity: Economic Report of the President Underscores Importance of Immigration

Publication Date: 
May 1, 2005
Although immigration is crucial to the growth of the U.S. labor force and yields a net fiscal benefit to the U.S. economy, current immigration policies fail to respond to actual labor demand.
  • Research and Analysis

Maintaining A Competitive Edge: Foreign-Born and US Immigration Policies in Science and Engineering

Publication Date: 
August 1, 2004
Foreign-born scientists and engineers (S&Es) have long played a prominent role in U.S. technological and scientific advancement and are a critical part of the science and engineering (S&E)...
  • Research and Analysis

Putting a Cap on Competitiveness: Arbitrary Limits on H-1B Visas Undermine U.S. Science and Engineer

Publication Date: 
August 1, 2004
Arbitrary congressional limits on the number of H-1B visas that can be granted annually to highly skilled foreign professionals may undermine the international competitiveness of U.S. science and...
  • Research and Analysis

Relinquishing Excellence: Closing the Door to Foreign Professionals Undermines the U.S. Economy

Publication Date: 
May 1, 2004
According to a recent National Science Board report, restrictive U.S. visa policies are beginning to close the door to highly skilled foreign professionals who have long helped maintain U.S...
  • Fact Sheet

Labor Market Numerology: Arbitrary Congressional Limits on Temporary Worker Visas

Publication Date: 
April 1, 2004
The current numerical limits on visas for both high-skilled and seasonal workers prevent U.S. businesses from hiring the workers they need, while doing nothing to protect the jobs or wages of native...
  • Research and Analysis

Beyond the High-Tech Bubble: The Changing Demand for H-1B Professionals

Publication Date: 
April 1, 2004
Contrary to popular myth, H-1B professionals represent only a tiny fraction of the total U.S. labor force and do not crowd out native-born workers in industries that are losing jobs. Rather, H-1B...
  • Special Report

Health Worker Shortages & the Potential of Immigration Policy

Publication Date: 
February 1, 2004
Foreign-born and foreign-trained professionals play an important role in the delivery of health care in the United States. This report examines the important role of immigrant doctors and nurses –...
  • Blog

Restrictions on Foreign Workers Will Hurt America’s Recovery From COVID-19

October 8, 2020

The Trump administration issued two rules October 8 that, if not overturned, will further restrict legal immigration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the first rule, which only...

  • Blog

Federal Judge Limits Trump Administration’s Foreign Worker Ban

October 2, 2020

On October 1, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to stop enforcing parts of a presidential proclamation that banned many foreign workers from entering the United States. The court...

  • Blog

How Trump’s COVID-19 Immigration Ban Has Impacted Family-Based Immigration

October 1, 2020

The Trump administration is successfully using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to alter the U.S. system of legal immigration. New government data makes clear that these changes will...

  • Blog

Farmworkers Need Better Support to Survive COVID-19

August 5, 2020

The dangers to America’s farmworkers—primarily immigrant men from Mexico with temporary H-2A visas—have long persisted under a system that is ripe for abuse. But those risks have only grown since...

  • Blog

The Trump Administration Expands Legal Immigration Ban, Using COVID-19 Pandemic as Excuse

June 23, 2020

The Trump administration has banned foreign nationals on certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas from entering the United States. The new ban begins June 24, at 12:01 am ET. The administration...

  • Blog

Immigrant IT Workers Play Critical Role in the Coronavirus Pandemic’s Virtual Economy 

June 8, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has radically altered the U.S. workforce. Many people have lost their jobs, while others have had to continue to go to work despite the serious health risks. Some sectors...

  • Blog

Presidential Proclamation Bars Certain Students and Researchers From China

June 1, 2020

President Trump issued a proclamation to prevent certain Chinese nationals from entering the United States using academic student (F) or exchange visitor researcher (J) visas. The proclamation...

  • Blog

Asian Americans Play Key Role in Fighting Coronavirus, Even as They Suffer Racism Spurred by It

May 29, 2020

May 31 closes out Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The...

  • Blog

Exchange Visitor Program Faces Uncertainty as US Opens but Embassies Remain Closed

May 20, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has affected day-to-day life for everyone, including foreign nationals who planned to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program. These...

  • Blog

Essential Workers Are at the Heart of a Diversifying Working-Class America

May 15, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of essential workers in keeping America up and running. First-responders, medical staff, meat packers, and domestic, hospitality, and...

  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Contributed $8.6 Billion to the El Paso Metro GDP

November 10, 2022
The new report is the first in a series of five reports highlighting immigrants' positive economic impact on Texas border communities.
  • Press Release

New Reports Shows Immigrants in the Medina Region Paid Over $168 Million in Taxes and Held Nearly $468 Million in Spending Power in 2019

November 8, 2022
New research released by the American Immigration Council—in partnership with the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce, and Ohio Business for Immigration Solutions (OBIS) shows that immigrants contributed $900 million to the Medina, Ohio region’s GDP in 2019.
  • Blog

Hiring Foreign Seasonal Workers Doesn’t Hurt American Workers, New Study Finds

November 3, 2022

Do fewer U.S. workers get hired when employers also hire temporary seasonal labor from abroad? A new study of firms applying for H-2B visas suggests that the answer is no. The H-2B visa allows...

  • Blog

Want to Hire an Immigrant or Refugee? Chambers of Commerce Aim to Make That Easier

September 30, 2022

With job openings at nearly twice as high as the pre-pandemic norm, employers across the country are continuing to struggle to fill open positions and meet workforce needs. But they’re finding a...

  • Fact Sheet

The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Texas

Publication Date: 
September 21, 2022
To address significant shortages of physicians and other healthcare workers, Texas must establish policies that recruit and retain local talent and give employment possibilities for immigrant...
  • Practice Advisories

Whom to Sue and Whom to Serve in Immigration-Related District Court Litigation

Publication Date: 
September 14, 2022
This Practice Advisory addresses who is, or who may be, the proper respondent-defendant and recipient for service of process in immigration-related litigation in district court.
  • Press Release

New Research Reveals Role of Immigrants in America's Meat and Dairy Industries

July 20, 2022
The American Immigration Council released a report that examines the impact and contributions of immigrant workers in the United States’ meat and dairy industries.
Workers on a factory line
  • Special Report

Labor Market Series

Publication Date: 
July 13, 2022
This year’s Labor Market Series will explore a variety of issues at the intersection of the U.S. economy and immigration.
  • Fact Sheet

The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas

Publication Date: 
July 11, 2022

New research from the American Immigration Council, The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas, highlights the crucial role of immigrants in the state’s workforce across the manufacturing,...

  • Fact Sheet

Tending to America's Food Supply

Publication Date: 
July 5, 2022
This fact sheet analyzes the essential role of immigrant workers in America's food production, particularly in the meat and dairy industries

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