A new report from the American Immigration Council and Upwardly Global, “Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region,” shows that immigrant workers are overrepresented in STEM fields and agricultural sectors in Wisconsin and other states bordering the Great Lakes, according to WisBusiness.
Immigrants are reportedly “fueling economic growth” and supporting communities across Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, and upstate New York. Immigrants represented 4.9% of Wisconsin’s population as of 2022. They made up 5.9% of the state’s labor force but represented 9.5% of STEM workers and 11.1% of agricultural workers.
Across the entire region examined in the report, immigrants comprised 7.8% of the population but made up 16.4% of the STEM workforce and 9% of the agriculture workforce. Restricted to farm employees, the latter number rises to 21%.
Other key findings include:
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Across the region, immigrants held 42.5% of meat processing positions and 30.8% of hand-packing jobs;
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Immigrants made up 27.8% of the region’s doctors, 20.6% of its surgeons, and 17% of its dentists and personal care aides;
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The number of immigrants working as registered nurses in the region rose 49.1% between 2010–22; and
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Immigrants made up 12.7% of home health aids and 16,7% of personal care aides across the region in 2022.
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The full report is available here.
