Immigra'on and the Highly Skilled Foreign-‐born Workforce in the United States February 2013 B. Lindsay Lowell Ins8tute for the Study of Interna8onal Migra8on Georgetown University
Presenta8on for a Luncheon Seminar sponsored by the Popula8on Associa8on of America, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington D.C.
Annual immigrant admissions & the visa system • Permanent visas, 140k (~50k principals) • Temporary visas, 300k+ • The numbers increased sharply in 1990s • The system favors temporary visas
Temporary visas issued by skill level and permanent admissions numbers Temporary visas issued
Highly skilled, temporary
Mixed skills, temporary
Less skilled, temporary
Visa
Descrip8on
H-‐1B
Specialty occupa8ons
129,559
L-‐1, L-‐2
Intercompany Transferees
147,677
O1, O2
Extraordinary ability
13,691
E-‐1, E-‐2
Treaty traders and investors
35,052
P
Athletes and Entertainers
84,545
J
Exchange Visitors
359,384
Q-‐1, Q-‐2
Cultural Exchange
1,492
R
Religious Workers
4,929
H-‐2A
Agricultural
55,384
H-‐2B, H-‐2R Non-‐agricultural and returnees
Legal Permanent Residents
2011 Visas Issued
New arrivals
Family & employment Adjustments of status
50,826 481,948 580,092
Highly skilled temporary (non-‐immigrant) workers, visa issuances 1970 -‐2011 H1 specialty worker, issuances incl. es8mates L1 intracompany worker, issuances incl. es8mates O1 & O2 extraodinary worker, issuances E1 & E2 treaty worker, issuances 300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Highly skilled temporary workers by country, visa issuances 2008 Brazil; 4,125 Mexico; Philippines; 7,963 5,696
Italy; 3,006 ; 0
Australia; 2,867
Philippines, Brazil, 4,153 3,708 Italy, 3,489 France, 6,886 Korea, South, 8,948
France; 6,622 Korea, South; 8,912
Germany, 9,154
Germany; 9,828
Mexico, 9,447
China, 11,738
China, 14,267 India; 113,308
United Kingdom, 15,203
Highly skilled temporary workers by country, visa issuances 2011
United Kingdom, 14,754
Japan; 19,830 Japan, 18,018
India, 99,,809
Total temporary working visas and new arrival legal permanent residents, 1971-2008 NIV, total working LPR, total new arrivals 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007
Source: tabulations of US State and Homeland security data
Percent of persons ages 25-54 adjusting by legal permanent admission class, 1972-2008 Employment preference Family preference Immediate relative of US citizen 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 Source: tabulations of DHS microdata.
Sixty years of employment in STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology & Math)
• Slow steady growth followed by rapid growth of immigrants in STEM ager the 1990 Act and the New Economy boom • The foreign-‐born presence is greatest in natural sciences & significant in detailed occupa8ons • Asian origins dominate
7,000,000
The core STEM workforce by na'vity, 1950 -‐ 2009
6,000,000
Number of workers
Foreign Born 5,000,000
Na8ve Born
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
1950
1960
1970
Source: US Decennial and American Community Survey samples
1980
1990
2000
2009
The core STEM workforce by na'vity, 1994 to 2012 6,000,000
5,000,000
Foreign born 4,000,000
Na8ve born
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
1994
1996
1998
2000
Source: March Current Popula8on Survey, IPUMS
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
Percent of the STEM workforce that is foreign born and select other occupa'ons 30
Physical sciences
Percent of workforce
25
Life sciences Mathema8cians and informa8on technology
20
Engineers 15
Operators & laborers 10
Professionals, other
5
0 1950
1960
1970
1980
Source: US Census and American Community Survey samples
1990
2000
2009
Regional concentra'on • California has a big lead in number of foreign-‐ born STEM workers, other states change place – Top 10 states today have 3/4ths of foreign workers
• Foreign-‐born percent of each state’s workforce has been steadily increasing • Foreign-‐born with STEM educa8on, as percent of all foreign-‐born, concentrate coasts & NE
Largest foreign-‐born core STEM state workforces & their share of STEM workers in the ten leading states (2009 ranking) 1990 State Total
California
Number
%
419,390
11.6
126,139
2000 State
Number
%
Total
1,033,145
18
22.6
California
274,280
2009 State
Number
%
Total
1,348,482
21.8
33.6
California
341,610
39.4
77,172
33.6
Texas
114,711
24.2
New Jersey
34,567
21.8
New Jersey
Texas
27,524
11.1
Texas
74,330
17.8
New Jersey
98,473
41.1
Florida
19,380
13.9
Illinois
55,024
20.6
New York
87,470
26.9
Illinois
18,510
11.5
Mass.
46,455
22.1
Illinois
63,648
24.5
Mass.
17,823
13.3
Florida
41,974
18.4
Florida
61,123
22.7
Maryland
14,210
10.7
Maryland
39,951
19.3
Mass.
60,025
27.8
Arizona
6,006
11
Michigan
35,717
16.3
Virginia
53,165
20.4
DC
1,428
13
Conn.
14,364
15.2
Maryland
51,955
23
144
10.2
DC
3,195
18.3
Wash.
45,826
22.1
Delaware
