A recent study by the National Foundation for American Policy revealed that by 2052, U.S.-born workers in the labor force will peak at 146.7 million, and beyond that, only immigrants will sustain labor force growth. The reasons behind such a staggering number include retiring Baby Boomers leaving the workforce, the aging American population and stagnating birth rates.
There is however another factor that could prove to be crucial in the future of the workforce in the country: immigrants, both legal and undocumented, do many jobs that U.S. citizens do not want to do. That's the main finding behind a recent Pew Research Center survey which revealed that 3 in 4 voters (75%) say undocumented immigrants fill jobs that citizens are unwilling to take, while 61% believe the same about legal immigrants.
According to the results, supporters of both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump agree that undocumented immigrants largely take unwanted jobs, though differences are noticeable between the two groups, as 90% of Harris supporters express this view, compared to 59% of Trump supporters. Similarly, while 70% of Harris supporters say legal immigrants take unwanted jobs, only 52% of Trump supporters agree.
The survey also shows that perspectives on the issue have not shifted significantly along party lines the last time Pew Research Center asked the same questions back in May 2020.
The results also reveal some variation in opinion across different racial and ethnic groups. 90% of Asian voters, 79% of Hispanic voters, 75% of White voters, and 71% of Black voters agree that undocumented immigrants take jobs that U.S. citizens do not want. Among Harris supporters, this view is widely held across all racial and ethnic groups, though Black supporters (75%) are less likely to agree compared to Hispanic (93%), White (94%), and Asian (96%) supporters.
In terms of legal immigrants, 67% of Hispanic voters believe they take jobs that citizens are unwilling to do, followed by 61% of White voters, 57% of Asian voters, and 54% of Black voters. Among Harris supporters, Hispanic (77%) and White (73%) respondents are more likely to hold this view compared to Asian (58%) and Black (56%) respondents.
Immigrants, both legal and unauthorized, make up a significant portion of the U.S. workforce. In 2022, over 30 million immigrants were employed in the U.S., accounting for 18% of all workers. Most of these immigrants were lawful, with unauthorized immigrants comprising around 5% of the workforce.
Mass deportations, which have become a cornerstone of Trump's immigration proposals during his current campaign, could have a significant impact on sectors like agriculture, construction, and services, where undocumented immigrants fill a large percentage of the jobs.
A recent piece by NBC News revealed that construction, for example, could be severely hampered foreign-born workers, many of whom are undocumented and make up 30% of the workforce in key trade roles such as carpentry, plastering, masonry and electrical roles.
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