Immigrants’ Share of the U.S. Labor Force Grows to a New High

Foreign-born workers' share of the US labor force rose to the highest level in 27 years in 2022, accounting for more than half of the overall gain in workers due to labor shortages and increased job opportunities.

May 28, 2023 . 5:19 PM

1 min read

Foreign-born workers made up 18.1% of the US labor force in 2022, up from 17.4% the prior year, the highest level since 1996.
There were 29.8 million immigrants in the US labor force, a 6.3% increase from the prior year, accounting for more than half of the overall gain in workers.
Labor shortages due to sluggish US population growth and baby-boomer retirements increased job opportunities for foreign-born workers.
Foreign-born workers are more likely to be in the workforce than native-born Americans, and foreign-born men have higher participation rates than any demographic group.
Foreign-born workers are helping fill in-person jobs such as restaurant and construction workers, truck drivers, and home-health aides.