A recent report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) revealed that over half of the foreign-born immigrant population in the United States during President Joe Biden’s administration is unemployed.
The report, released on Monday, indicated that only 46 percent of migrants who arrived in the U.S. in 2022 or later were employed as of the beginning of 2024. Researchers Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler from the CIS emphasized that while immigration adds workers to the country, it also adds non-workers who rely on the labor of others for support.
The data from the CIS report challenges the arguments made by supporters of illegal immigration who claim that migrant workers contribute to the economy by working hard. The report also highlighted that since Biden took office in January 2021, the migrant population in the U.S. has increased by approximately 6.6 million over 39 months. As of March 2024, the foreign-born migrant population reached a record high of 51.6 million, making up 15.6 percent of the total U.S. population.
The CIS researchers pointed out that there is a growing number of unauthorized immigrants among new arrivals, attributed to the ongoing border crisis. This has led to debates about granting work permits to unauthorized immigrants to support themselves while awaiting a court date, with concerns about incentivizing more illegal immigration. A previous report by the CIS in February also noted that Biden’s job growth primarily focused on hiring foreign-born immigrants, while the number of American citizens with jobs decreased from pre-COVID-19 levels.
