The Contributions of New Americans in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of several states in the country that, while not boasting a huge foreign-born population now, is increasingly drawing more immigrants. In recent years, Wisconsin has faced weak population growth: Between 2010 and 2014, the state’s overall population grew by a mere 1.2 percent. The native-born population, meanwhile, grew by just 0.8 percent. For many states, such trends can pose problems for the economy: A declining or slow-growing population can deprive businesses of the customers they need and employers of a workforce they can depend on to fill positions as the baby boomers retire. In Wisconsin, immigrants are already helping to address some of these demographic challenges. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of immigrants living in Wisconsin increased by more than 22,000 people. The 9 percent growth the state experience in the size of its foreign-born population well outpaced the increase in the number of immigrants in the United States more broadly.

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