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Illegal immigrants made up 4.8 percent of U.S. workforce in 2022: Pew Survey
This marks the first sustained increase since 2005-2007, up from 10.5 million in 2021.
Pew study examines changes in US immigrant population / Pew Research Center
Illegal immigrants constituted 4.8 percent of the U.S. workforce in 2022 according to data published by Pew survey on July 22.
The new estimates based on the 2022 American Community Survey, show that the unauthorised immigrant population grew to 11.0 million in 2022, reversing a long-term downward trend from 2007 to 2019 and marking the first sustained increase since 2005-2007.
Pew Research Center estimates. / Pew Research Center Unauthorised Immigrants in the Workforce
The survery shows that 4.8 percent of the U.S. workforce (around 8.3 million workers) are illegal immigrants. This figure was up from 7.4 million in 2019 and matches previous highs seen in 2008 and 2011. Despite the increase, the number of unauthorised immigrants living in the U.S. remained below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.
Additionally, Illegal immigrants made up 3.3 percent of the total U.S. population and 23 percent of the foreign-born population in 2022. Although these shares were lower than the peak values in 2007, they were slightly higher than in 2019.
Impact of Recent Events
These new estimates do not reflect events since mid-2022. The unauthorised immigrant population has likely grown over the past two years, as encounters with migrants at U.S. borders reached record levels throughout 2022-23. Additionally, the number of applicants waiting for decisions on asylum claims increased by about 1 million by the end of 2023.
Furthermore, about 500,000 new immigrants were paroled into the country through federal programs like the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) program and Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) through December 2023. While groups like these are traditionally considered part of the unauthorized immigrant population, they are not included in the 2022 estimates.
Mexico emerged as the most common country of birth for illegal immigrants. / Pew Research Center
Origins and Distribution
As per the data, Mexico emerged as the most common country of birth for illegal immigrants. Their influx dropped to 4 million in 2022 from a peak of 6.9 million in 2007. Meanwhile, the population from nearly every other region of the world grew between 2019 and 2022, with significant increases from the Caribbean, South America, Asia, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa.
After Mexico, the countries with the largest unauthorized immigrant populations in the U.S. in 2022 were: El Salvador (750,000), India (725,000), Guatemala (675,000), Honduras (525,000).
Six American states saw growth in their illegal immigrant populations from 2019 to 2022: Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. California was the only state that saw a decrease. The six states with the largest unauthorized immigrant populations in 2022 were California (1.8 million), Texas (1.6 million), Florida (1.2 million), New York (650,000), New Jersey (475,000), and Illinois (400,000).
State-wise estimate of unauthorised immigrants. / Pew Research Center Households and Living Arrangements
Illegal immigrants lived in 6.3 million households in 2022, representing 4.8 percent of the 130 million U.S. households. In 86 percent of these households, either the householder or their spouse was undocumented. Almost 70 percent of these households were considered “mixed status,” containing both lawful immigrants or U.S.-born residents. The survey showed about 5 percent of these households contained unauthorized immigrants who were not related to the householder or spouse.
The share of unauthorized immigrants in the workforce varied across states in 2022, with Nevada (9 percent), Texas (8 percent), Florida (8 percent), New Jersey (7 percent), California (7 percent), and Maryland (7 percent) having the highest shares. In contrast, fewer than 1 percent of workers in Maine, Montana, Vermont, and West Virginia were unauthorized immigrants.
The Research Center highlighted that continued growth in the illegal immigrant population highlights ongoing challenges and debates surrounding U.S. immigration policy and enforcement. As the landscape evolves, understanding the demographics and contributions of unauthorized immigrants remains crucial for informed policy decisions.
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