The current labor shortage and supply chain issues are having an impact on the U.S. economy. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections and data on job openings from online job posting sites show high demand for healthcare professionals, transportation, construction, healthcare support, buildings and grounds, manufacturing, and food preparation. Some roles rely more heavily on immigrant workers to fill the needs. As an example, between 19% and 34% of healthcare professionals are immigrants. This is higher than the share of immigrants in the U.S. population, which is an estimated 14.2%. As such, the U.S. relies on immigrants to fill these needs.

Further, healthcare practitioners including surgeons, nurses, and doctors, saw online job postings of 4.9 million in 2021. Immigrants make up 15.6% of all healthcare practitioners.

The job outlook over the coming decade is expected to change. With an aging population, the demand for healthcare support workers is expected to see the highest growth rate from now to 2030. Over 20% of individuals in these critical roles are immigrants.

The growth rate for computer roles and math professionals are also projected to see a high growth rate in the next decade. Nearly 25% of individuals in software, web development, and statistics are immigrants.

With these two areas of expertise alone, the demand for immigrants is expected to grow by 2030. U.S.-born individuals born after 1996 are a smaller group, comprising fewer individuals. As such, the generation will provide fewer workers simply due to the lower number. The gap between the expected growth in demand and the expected reduction of U.S.-born workers means more foreign individuals will be needed to fill the demand. If not available, roles will simply go unfilled.

We continue to monitor the demands and policies that affect U.S. immigration. If you have questions about how to take a proactive stance or any other immigration-related issue, contact us. We work with our clients to ensure they get the right advice.