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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 11, 2022  

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New Research Shows Texas Immigrants Accounted for Over 20 Percent of Workforce Across Several Leading Industries

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The American Immigration Council report underscores the key role immigrants play in the state's workforce

 

AUSTIN, TX – New research on The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas released today by Texans for Economic Growth–a statewide 125+-member business coalition powered by the American Immigration Council–in partnership with the Texas Association of Business and the Texas Business Leadership Council underscores the crucial role immigrants in Texas play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand fields.

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“Workforce is one of the top issues for businesses across our state. We need to do everything we can to ensure we have the right immigration policies in place so that some of the hardest working people on the planet can come to the U.S. and contribute to our economy,” said Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business. “This report illustrates the tremendous contributions immigrant workers make in Texas and that our economy heavily relies on them.”

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Justin Yancy, president of the Texas Business Leadership Council (TBLC) added,

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“The TBLC is proud to partner with the American Immigration Council (the Council) in highlighting the importance of immigration reform, especially as it relates to our state and nation’s economic prosperity. According to the Council, immigrants make up more than 13% of healthcare workers—one of the most in-demand career fields in the country. In Texas, according to this new report, we have seen a 91% increase in job postings for healthcare professionals and a 265% increase in posts requesting bilingual skills. Texas is in critical need of qualified, bilingual healthcare professionals, and immigrants to our country — whether they are holding a visa, are a DACA recipient, or a newly naturalized U.S. citizen — are helping to relieve this labor shortage.”

 

Key findings:

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  • Growth in the immigrant population has helped strengthen the Texas labor force. In 2019, immigrants in Texas comprised 17.1 percent of the population, but 21.9 percent of the state’s overall workforce. As of 2021, there were 7.1 million Texans aged 55 and older expected to retire in the next decade.

  • The Texas economy continues to expand, with job postings more than doubling from 1.85 million in 2017 to 3.84 million in 2021. Immigrants will be crucial to meeting demand in the sectors that power the Texas economy.

  • Manufacturing is a key economic driver in Texas. In 2019, the economic output of the state’s manufacturing sector was larger than the manufacturing GDP of either Russia or Mexico, and of Portugal’s entire national economy. The greatest number of online job postings in 2021 was for production workers; postings tripled from 7,508 to 23,010 in five years. In 2019, immigrants made up 28.3 percent of all production workers in Texas.

  • Job postings in the healthcare industry increased by 90.9 percent from 2017 to 2021, and job postings for healthcare occupations that requested bilingual workers grew by 264.6 percent. In 2019 20.4 percent of registered nurses (RNs), 14.5 percent of licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and 28.7 percent of home healthcare aides were immigrants.

  • Immigrants play a critical role in easing teacher shortages. From 2017 to 2021, online job postings for teachers and teaching assistants in Texas K-12 schools doubled. During that same period, online job postings for K-12 teachers and educational support occupations that listed bilingual skills grew by 158.1 percent.

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About the American Immigration Council

The American Immigration Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring. The Council brings together problem solvers and employs four coordinated approaches to advance change—litigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. In January 2022, the Council and New American Economy merged to combine a broad suite of advocacy tools to better expand and protect the rights of immigrants, more fully ensure immigrants’ ability to succeed economically, and help make the communities they settle in more welcoming. Follow the latest Council news and information on ImmigrationImpact.com and Twitter @immcouncil.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 24, 2021  

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90+ TX Business Leaders Urge Senators to Pass Legislation to Legalize Dreamers, TPS Holders, and Address Broader Immigration Reforms Reforms

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As House bills move to the Senate, the Texas Association of Business, Borderplex Alliance, Greater Houston Partnership, IBM, Texas Restaurant Association and others participate in national fly-in

 

NEW YORK, NY – Today, less than a week since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Dream & Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, New American Economy (NAE) is hosting a virtual fly-in to urge key Senators to pass immigration reform. Texans for Economic Growth, a coalition of more than 105 Texas business leaders and associations met with Senator Cornyn as part of a national fly-in bringing leaders from Texas, Ohio, Colorado, Maine, South Dakota, Utah, Florida, Nebraska, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Idaho, and Pennsylvania to talk about the need for immigration reform as both a moral and economic imperative.

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See how immigration impacts the Texas economy here.

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NAE’s virtual fly-in brings together hundreds of leaders across the country who understand that the moment for immigration reform is here, and the only path to success is a bipartisan one. Participants include the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Borderplex Alliance, Dallas Regional Chamber, El Paso Chamber of Commerce, Greater Houston Partnership, Hunt Companies, Inc., IBC Bank, IBM, Marek Family of Companies, North Texas Commission, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Texas Association of Business, Texas Business Leadership Council, Texas Opportunity Coalition, and Texas Restaurant Association, among many others listed at the bottom of this release.

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NAE’s research shows that:

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  • There are approximately 204,453 DACA-eligible immigrants in Texas. They hold $3.2B  in spending power and pay $963.4M in taxes each year.

  • More than 500,000 DACA-eligible individuals across the country are essential workers, with 62,000 working in healthcare alone (nurses, home health aides, etc.)

  • 12,800 DACA recipients work in the farming and agriculture industry—with the vast majority as agricultural laborers.

  • There are approximately 66,261 TPS holders in Texas.

  • Over 130,000 TPS holders are essential workers who have been vital in the pandemic, in healthcare, construction, education, and across the food supply chain.

  • An estimated 11,600 health care workers today are TPS holders.

  • Farmworkers are especially at risk of falling ill from COVID-19 as they often work in challenging conditions with no room to self-isolate at home.

  • Despite being essential to the U.S. food supply chain, undocumented farmworkers do not qualify for assistance in the COVID-19 aid packages and can’t seek UI.

 

You can learn more about immigrant contributions to fighting COVID-19 here.

 

The full list of meeting participants is below:

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  1. Abilene Chamber of Commerce

  2. Abilitie

  3. Allen Fairview Chamber of Commerce

  4. Amegy Bank

  5. Angleton Chamber

  6. Apple

  7. Austin Chamber of Commerce

  8. Austin Technology Council

  9. Baytown Chamber of Commerce

  10. Benzer Capital

  11. Borderplex Alliance

  12. Brace Industrial Group

  13. Brazoria County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

  14. Bulverde Spring Branch Chamber of Commerce

  15. Caliche Management, L.L.C.

  16. Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

  17. Cotulla Lasalle County Chamber of Commerce

  18. Cuero Chamber of Commerce

  19. Dallas Regional Chamber 

  20. Dekker/Perich/Sabatini

  21. Dell Technologies

  22. Denton Economic Development Partnership

  23. Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce

  24. Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce

  25. East Parker County Chamber of Commerce

  26. El Paso Chamber of Commerce

  27. El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

  28. Elgin Chamber of Commerce

  29. ESL International, LLC

  30. ETSZONE

  31. Fidelity Investments

  32. Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

  33. Foster LLP

  34. Gonzales Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture

  35. Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce

  36. Greater Houston Partnership

  37. Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce

  38. Greater Magnolia Parkway Chamber

  39. Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce

  40. Harris Health System

  41. HMS

  42. Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

  43. HP Inc.

  44. Hunt Companies, Inc.

  45. Hurst Euless Bedford (HEB) Chamber of Commerce

  46. IBC Bank

  47. IBM Corp

  48. Intermex

  49. LMC, Inc.

  50. Legacy Community Health

  51. Longview Chamber of Commerce

  52. Lubbock Chamber of Commerce

  53. Magnolia Chamber of Commerce

  54. Marek Family of Companies

  55. McAllen Chamber of Commerce

  56. Metrocrest Chamber Of Commerce

  57. Monty & Ramírez

  58. MountainStar Sports Group/El Paso Chihuahuas/El Paso Locomotive

  59. Nation Waste Inc

  60. National Association of Evangelicals

  61. National Immigration Forum

  62. North Texas Commission

  63. Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce

  64. PART Consulting

  65. Partnership Lake Houston

  66. Pizza Properties Inc.

  67. Proficiency Testing Service

  68. Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

  69. Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce

  70. San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

  71. San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce

  72. 7Tablets

  73. Sonny Brown Associates

  74. Tech Titans

  75. Texas Association of Business

  76. Texas Association of Dairymen

  77. Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC)

  78. Texas Business Immigration Coalition

  79. Texas Business Leadership Council

  80. Texas Farm Bureau

  81. Texas Instruments

  82. Texas Opportunity Coalition

  83. Texas Restaurant Association

  84. The Home Depot Technology

  85. The Raben Group

  86. Tricolor Holdings

  87. Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce

  88. Tyler Economic Development Council

  89. U.S. Chamber of Commerce

  90. United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce

  91. United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce

  92. Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce

  93. Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce

 

About New American Economy

New American Economy (NAE) is a bipartisan research and advocacy organization founded to educate, empower and support policymakers, influencers, and citizens across the country that see the economic and social benefits of a smart approach to immigration reform. NAE has created a coalition of civic, business, and cultural leaders who span the political spectrum and represent all 50 states. NAE makes the case for smart immigration reform in four ways: 1) we use powerful research to demonstrate how immigration impacts our economy, 2) we organize champions at the grassroots and influencer levels to build support for immigration, 3) we partner with state and local leaders to advocate for policies that recognize the value immigrants add locally, and 4) we show immigrant contributions to American culture through film, food, art, sports, comedy, and more.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 26, 2019  

 

New Business Coalition, Texans for Economic Growth, and Texas Business Immigration Coalition Launch Texas Compact on Immigration

 

More than 65 signatories call for immigration reform and support in-state tuition for all residents

New research finds Texas stands to lose $400 million in economic activity should in-state tuition be repealed

 

AUSTIN — Today marks the launch of Texans for Economic Growth, a coalition of 50 Texas business leaders and associations dedicated to recognizing and supporting the positive impact immigrants have on the Texas economy as business owners, taxpayers, and consumers. With its launch, the Coalition partnered with the Texas Business Immigration Coalition (TBIC) to release the Texas Compact on Immigration, a set of principles signed by more than 65 Texas business leaders and groups to call for smart immigration policies at the federal level as well as statewide policies that recognize the valuable contributions immigrants make to the state. Read the full Compact here.

 

During the 86th Legislature, Texans for Economic Growth will focus its efforts on protecting the Texas economy from the harmful effects of anti-immigrant legislation. In particular, the Coalition will oppose efforts to increase public college and university tuition for certain long-term Texas resident students. Under current Texas law, all students who have lived in the state for three years and graduate from a Texas high school are eligible for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. This law, established in 2001 and championed by then-Governor Rick Perry, has been in place for nearly two decades and has helped young Texans get the education they need to help Texas’ workforce and economy grow and thrive.

 

Any efforts to create a new category of Texas residents who are charged out-of-state tuition will not only increase hardship on the affected students but will also harm the Texas economy. New research from NAE finds that if residency requirements were changed, it could lead to nearly $400 million in lost economic activity for Texas each year. Specifically, the research found that:

 

  • Since HB 1403 went into effect, affidavit students have directly added tens of billions of dollars to the Texas economy. After graduating, students who benefitted from HB 1403 earned $19.7 billion more than they would have without a college degree.

  • During the same time period, that increase in earnings resulted in more than $17.0 billion in additional economic activity in Texas.

  • Without these new graduates, Texas could lose up to $213.6 million in wage earnings in just one year.

  • The loss in additional wages could cost the Texas economy $184.2 million in additional spending power annually.

 

“As the State Chamber of Commerce, The Texas Association of Business represents members who employ hundreds of thousands of Texans and produce $8 billion annually in business. We support Texans for Economic Growth on their mission to support meaningful immigration reform through an economics lens that will positively affect the Texas business community and is a necessity for growing Texas’ economy,” said Jeff Moseley, President & CEO, Texas Association of Business.

 

“As a network of Texas CEOs and senior business leaders, we support thoughtful and comprehensive solutions to tough issues like immigration reform,” said Justin Yancy, President of the Texas Business Leadership Council. “We were compelled to join Texans for Economic Growth and sign the Texas Compact on Immigration because we know the repeal of in-state tuition for law-abiding students would be detrimental to Texas’ long term global competitiveness. The TBLC believes it’s important to provide Texas’ elected leaders with this unique view of the potential economic outcomes of legislation.”

 

“Today a group of dynamic business leaders will come together to voice why immigrant-friendly policies will help ensure the ongoing vitality of Texas’ economy,” said John Feinblatt, President of New American Economy. “These leaders are speaking up just as the Texas Legislature is considering bills to take away access to higher education for thousands of promising young immigrants that want nothing more than to study and contribute.”

 

“The Texas Business Immigration Coalition supports the Texas Compact on Immigration,” said Juan Carlos Cerda, Outreach Manager of Texas Business Immigration Coalition. “As business leaders, we believe that sensible immigration reform is necessary to drive the best talent to Texas, provide Texas companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent that they need, and keep Texas businesses globally competitive. Supporting sensible immigration reform is economically important, politically smart, and morally right.”

 

Visit txcompact.org to learn more.

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