The August jobs report from the Labor Department indicates a significant decline in the number of foreign-born workers in the United States, with a decrease of 822,000 over the past year. In contrast, the employment of U.S.-born workers has seen an increase of 2.76 million during the same timeframe. The unemployment rates for both groups have remained relatively stable, with foreign-born workers at 4.4% and U.S.-born workers at 4.6%, both showing slight increases from the previous year.
Experts attribute the decline in immigrant employment partially to broader economic uncertainties, including tariff implications and the potential end of the current economic expansion. Daniel Di Martino from the Manhattan Institute noted that the aging native-born labor force and restrictions on immigration have contributed to a tighter labor market, particularly in sectors heavily reliant on immigrant labor, such as construction and service industries.
Additionally, a Pew Research Center analysis highlighted a reduction in the foreign-born population in the U.S., marking the first such decline since the 1960s. Di Martino suggested that this trend could be influenced by reduced survey responses from illegal immigrants, complicating the data landscape. David Bier from the Cato Institute echoed concerns about the reliability of employment statistics, suggesting that fluctuations in immigration estimates could distort perceptions of job growth among U.S.-born workers.
Overall, the report underscores the complexities of the labor market, where immigration trends and economic conditions interplay to shape employment outcomes for both foreign-born and U.S.-born workers.