Immigration and the U.S. Labor Force

Two New Studies Examine Economics of Immigration

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The two reports released today
by the Center for Immigration Studies provide detailed information on the U.S.
labor force. The first, entitled "Jobs Americans Don't Do?," provides a
detailed look at the concentration of immigrants across the 465 occupations
that comprise the U.S.-labor market. The second report, entitled "Worse Than
It Seems," examines the broader measure of unemployment, referred to by the
government as U-6, which includes the unemployed and people who would like to
work but have not looked for a job recently, as well as those working
part-time who want full-time work. The reports are available at www.cis.org.

Among the findings:

-- Of the 465 civilian occupations, only four are majority immigrant.
These
four occupations account for less than one percent of the total U.S.
workforce. Moreover, even in these four occupations, native-born
Americans comprise 47% of workers.
-- Many jobs often thought to be overwhelmingly immigrant are in fact
majority native-born:
-- Maids and housekeepers: 55 percent native-born.
-- Taxi drivers and chauffeurs: 58 percent native-born.
-- Butchers and meat processors: 63 percent native-born.
-- Grounds maintenance workers: 65 percent native-born.
-- Construction laborers: 65 percent native-born.
-- Porters, bellhops and concierges: 71 percent native-born.
-- Janitors: 75 percent native-born.
-- Immigrants tend to be concentrated in occupations that are primarily,
but not exclusively, lower wage jobs that require relatively little
formal education.
-- In June 2009, the official unemployment rate for native-born Americans
was 9.7 percent, but the broader U-6 measure was 16.3 percent. The U-6
measure includes people who would like to work but have not looked for
a
job recently, as well as those working part-time involuntarily.
-- There are 12.7 million unemployed native-born Americans, but using the
U-6 measure the number is 21.7 million.
-- The unemployment rate for native-born Americans with less than a high
school education is 20.8 percent. Their U-6 measure is 33.2 percent.
-- The unemployment rate for young native-born Americans (18-29) who have
only a high school education is 18.5 percent. Their U-6 measure is
30.3
percent.
-- The unemployment rate for native-born blacks with less than a high
school education is 27.5 percent. Their U-6 measure is 42 percent.
-- The unemployment rate for young, native-born blacks (18-29) with only
a
high school education is 25.8 percent. Their U-6 measure is 37.4
percent.

-- The unemployment rate for native-born Hispanics with less than a high
school education is 22.6 percent. Their U-6 measure is 36.5 percent.

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent research institutewhich
examines the impact of immigration on the United States.

Contact: Steven Camarota
(202) 466-8185, sac@cis.org

SOURCE Center for Immigration Studies

Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, +1-202-466-8185,
sac@cis.org