Increase in Immigration Work Force’s Skill Level

A recent report by the Brookings Institutions indicates that highly skilled immigrants in the United States now outnumber lower skilled immigrants.  The report shows that the shift has been in the works for at least 30 years.

According to the report, “30 percent of the country’s working-age immigrants, regardless of legal status, have at least a bachelor’s degree, while 28 percent lack a high school diploma.”

The fact that immigrants to America are a diverse group is often lost in the debate on immigration policy.  Policy makers would be well-served to consider the immigrant population’s current and potential future contributions to the American economy as doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs in addition to the contributions in the more typically depicted sectors of hospitality service and agricultural labor.

To read the Washington Post article, click here.