randy capps karina fortuny the urban institute

Randy CappsKarina Fortuny

The Urban Institute

“The Contributions of Immigrant Workers to the Economy”Governor’s Workforce Investment Board Quarterly Meeting

Arnold, MD, September 17, 2008

The Integration of Immigrants and Their Families in Maryland

THE URBAN INSTITUTE / Washington, D.C.

Today’s Presentation

• Trends in Maryland’s immigrant workforce

• Distribution of workers across Maryland

• Characteristics of immigrant workers

• Industries, occupations, and earnings of immigrant workers

• Conclusions and policy recommendations


10%12%

15%

23%

12%

15%

20%

32%

Total population All workers Low-wage workers Lower-skilled workers

2000 2005–06

a b

(U.S. Census, 2000 & American Community Survey, 2005 & 2006)

Note:a. Low-wage workers earned less than twice the minimum wage in 1999 or in 2004–05. Self-employed workers are excluded from this tabulation.b. Lower-skilled workers have less than a high school education.

Foreign-Born Shares of the Total Population, All Workers, Low-Wage Workers, and Lower-Skilled

Workers, Maryland, 2000 and 2005-06


Growth of Maryland Labor Force, Age 18 to 64, by Nativity and Educational

Attainment, 2000 to 2005-06

19,000

53,000 50,000

-40,000

52,000

89,000

Less than high school High school/some college College degree or more

Foreign-bornNative-born



Labor Force Participation Is Increasing for Both Immigrants and Natives in Almost All Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Groups

• Immigrants’ participation up: 75% to 80%

• Natives: slight change from 79% to 80%

• Foreign-born Hispanics: large increase from 70% to 81%

• African Americans: also large increase from 73% to 78%

• Native-born high school dropouts: slight increase from 58% to 60%


Foreign-born Workers Living in Maryland,

by County, 2005-06

Baltimore City20,000

5%

Montgomery170,000

41% Howard27,000

7%

Baltimore43,000

10%

All other55,000

13%

Prince George's101,000

24%

417,000 Foreign-Born Workers

(American Community Survey, 2005 & 2006)


Growth Rates, Foreign-Born Workers, by County/County Group, Maryland,

2000 to 2005-0690%

50% 45% 42% 41%

21% 21%25%26%

Frederick,Allegany,Garrett,

Washington,& Carroll

Howard Baltimore PrinceGeorge's

AnneArundel,

Calvert, St.Mary's, &Charles

Harford BaltimoreCity

EasternShore

Montgomery

State average = 33%

30,0001,0004,0001,0008,00030,000

13,0009,000

8,000


Note: "Eastern Shore" includes Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worchester counties.


Regions of Birth of Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland, 2005-06

Africa & West Indies99,000

24%

Middle East & South Asia

50,00012%

Latin America135,000

32%

Central America80,000

19%

South America34,000

8%

Southeast Asia18,000

4%Europe, Canada & Australia

52,00012%

Mexico21,000

5%

East Asia & Pacific62,00015%



Educational Attainment of Foreign-Born versus Native-Born Workers,

Maryland, 2005-06

17%

43%

7%

57%

36%40%

Less than high school High school/equivalent or somecollege

Four-year college or higher

Foreign-bornNative-born



Shares of Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland with Four-Year College Degrees or More Education, by Region of Birth, 2005-06

43%

8% 9%

65%

76%

42%

32%34%

58%

Overall Europe,Canada, &Australia

Mexico CentralAmerica &Spanish

Caribbean

SouthAmerica

SoutheastAsia

East Asia &Pacific

Middle East& South

Asia

Africa &West Indies

U.S.-born workers = 36%



Shares of Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland with Less than High School

Educations, by Region of Birth, 2005-06

17%

47%53%

13%17%

5%3%6%4%



Caribbean

SouthAmerica

SoutheastAsia

East Asia &Pacific

Middle East& South

Asia

Africa &West Indies

U.S.-born workers = 7%



Limited English Proficient Shares of Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland,

by Region of Birth, 2005-06

38%

72% 69%

40%

56%

45%

21%15%19%



Caribbean

SouthAmerica

SoutheastAsia

East Asia &Pacific

Middle East& South

Asia

Africa &West Indies



Bilingual Shares of Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland, by Region of Birth, 2005-06

40%

19% 23%

35% 37%44%

68%

42%43%



Caribbean

SouthAmerica

SoutheastAsia

East Asia &Pacific

Middle East& South

Asia

Africa &West Indies



Share of Foreign-Born Workers in Maryland That Are Naturalized Citizens,

by Region of Birth, 2005-06

45%

14%24%

50%

70%61%

56%46%

50%



Caribbean

SouthAmerica

SoutheastAsia

East Asia &Pacific

Middle East& South

Asia

Africa &West Indies



Maryland Industries with Highest Immigrant Worker Shares, 2005-06

24%22% 22%

18%15% 15% 14%

12% 12%

24%

Accommo-dation& food

Admini-stration

& support

Construction Otherservices

Heath care& social

assistance

Prof.,scientific,

& technical

Manufacturing Retail Agriculture,forestry,& fishing

Transport& warehousing

Average for all industries = 15%



Maryland Occupations with Highest Immigrant Worker Shares, 2005-06

32%

25% 25% 24% 23% 22% 21% 19%17%

27%

Building& grounds

maintenance

Life,physical,& socialscience

ConstructionAgriculture Personalcare

Foodpreparation& serving

Health caresupport

Health carepractices

Computer& math

Production

Average for all occupations = 15%



Share of Immigrants Age 25 and Older with College or Professional Degrees Earned Abroad

Employed in Unskilled Occupations, by U.S. Tenure, 2005-06

12% 11%15%

26% 27%

14%

41%43%

20%

Native-born Europe* Asia** Latin America Africa

10 years or less

11 years or more

(Migration Policy Institute Analysis of American Community Survey, 2005 & 2006)

(Note: "Europe" refers to Europe, Canada, and Oceania. * The shares of immigrants from Europe regardless of tenure are not statistically different from that of native workers. ** The share of immigrants from Asia, 11 years or more in the U.S., are also not statistically different from that of native workers. )


Median Personal Earnings of Foreign- versus Native-Born Maryland Workers, by

Educational Attainment, 2004-05

$25,000

$60,000

$21,000$28,000

$50,000

$33,000

Less than high school High school/equivalent or some college Four-year college or higher

Native-born

Foreign-born



Median Personal Earnings of English-Proficient versus Limited English Proficient

Immigrant Workers in Maryland, by Educational Attainment, 2004-05

$24,000

$55,000

$20,000$24,000

$40,000

$30,000


English proficient

LEP



Median Personal Earnings of Recent versus Long-term Immigrant Workers in Maryland,

by Educational Attainment, 2004-05

$24,000

$60,000

$18,000 $20,000

$39,000

$31,000


10 years or more of U.S. tenure

Less than 10 years of U.S. tenure

Source: Urban Institute tabulations of 2005 and 2006 American Community Survey.Note: Workers are people age 18 to 64 who are in the civilian workforce, report positive wage and salary earnings or self-employment earnings if self-employed for the prior 12 months, and have worked at least 25 weeks or 700 hours (i.e., the full-time equivalent for 20 weeks).



Conclusions• Immigrant workforce is growing, without affecting

natives’ labor force participation

• Immigrant workforce is diverse and better educated than nationally

• But a significant share of immigrant workers are lower-skilled and LEP

• Immigrants are overrepresented in high- and low-skilled occupations

• Immigrant earnings increase with education, English, and tenure


Policy Recommendations• Adult education and job training for both

immigrant and native-born workers

• Immigrants with lower educational attainment also need ESL

• Assistance with U.S. credentials for immigrants with degrees abroad

• Assistance with U.S. citizenship• 114,000 eligible to naturalize

• 61,000 soon to be eligible (Passel, 2007)

randy capps karina fortuny the urban institute

Documents