Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship and business creation is fundamental to a healthy economy. Companies less than five years old create an average of 1.5 million new jobs for Americans each year.† Immigrants in particular play an important role in creating jobs as they are more likely to start a new business than the rest of the population. Despite this, the United States lacks a startup visa to welcome immigrant entrepreneurs with a proven idea and solid investment. This results in many business owners struggling to stay—at a cost to our economy and its workers.
† Jason Wiens and Chris Jackson, “The Importance of Young Firms for Economic Growth,” September 13, 2015. Available online.
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com SOUTH CAROLINA FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 1.8 STEM job openings were posted online in South Carolina for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN PENNSYLVANIA
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com PENNSYLVANIA FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.4 STEM job openings were posted online in Pennsylvania for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the… Read More
U.S. Educated Entrepreneur Might Take Talents Elsewhere Because of Burdensome Immigration Policies
Growing up in southern India, Jeevan Pendli saw the effects of insufficient healthcare in poor neighborhoods and rural towns. What he didn’t expect, however, was to see the same thing when he moved to the United States – rural populations just 15 minutes from where he was living in Pittsburgh… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN OHIO
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com OHIO FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.3 STEM job openings were posted online in Ohio for every 1 unemployed STEM worker in the… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN NEW YORK
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com NEW YORK FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 1.7 STEM job openings were posted online in New York for every 1 unemployed STEM worker… Read More
British CEO Expands Company to U.S. and Creates Over 120 New American Jobs
When Mark Wilkins, the CEO of Stampede, moved to the United States in 1997, he did it to start a business. Having founded one of the largest distributors of audiovisual equipment in the United Kingdom, he viewed the United States as a great place to expand the operation… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN NEW MEXICO
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com NEW MEXICO FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.1 STEM job openings were posted online in New Mexico for every 1 unemployed STEM… Read More
HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Learn more about the need for high-skilled immigration reform at www.LetPJStay.com NEW HAMPSHIRE FACES A LARGE STEM SHORTAGE There are more STEM job openings than unemployed STEM workers: From 2009 to 2011, 2.3 STEM job openings were posted online in New Hampshire for every 1 unemployed STEM worker… Read More
IMMIGRANTS CONTRIBUTE TO NATIONAL ECONOMY WHILE LAWMAKERS STRUGGLE WITH REFORM EFFORTS
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Immigrants in the United States started 28 percent of all new businesses in 2011 and businesses owned by immigrants employed approximately 4.7 million people in 2007, according to the Partnership for a New American Economy and the Fiscal Policy Institute. Although the immigrant population in Nebraska is significantly smaller… Read More
Twelve Multi-Industry Associations Release Joint Guide to Understanding and Improving the H-1B Visa Program
CONTACTS Kasey Pipes, Compete America, [email protected] Ryan Williams, Partnership for a New American Economy, [email protected] Blair Holmes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, [email protected] Washington, D.C. — Compete America, New American Economy, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with… Read More
Immigrants Create American Jobs
How many jobs do immigrant entrepreneurs create? The data shows that firms owned by immigrants provide millions of jobs for U.S. workers and generate billions of dollars in annual income. With new business formation slowing in the United States, immigrant entrepreneurs have a critical role in many parts of the country, creating jobs for all Americans.
What percent of businesses are owned by immigrants?
The act of moving to another country is inherently courageous and risky. So, it comes as no surprise that immigrants tend to be more entrepreneurial than the rest of the population. In 2019, immigrant entrepreneurs made up 21.7 percent of all business owners in the United States, despite making up just over 13.6 percent of the population and 17.1 percent of the U.S. labor force.
Where Immigrants Are Most Entrepreneurial, 2019
Immigrants and the Recovery from the Great Recession
Foreign-born entrepreneurs and the jobs they created were instrumental in the recovery from the Great Recession. Between 2007 and 2011, immigrant entrepreneurs founded a large share of new businesses across the country and in several key states.
Share of New Businesses Founded by Immigrants in Select States, 2007-2011
Which Industries Are Immigrant Businesses Most Prevalent?
As important as the frequency with which immigrants start businesses is the diversity of fields in which they start them. Immigrants start more than 25 percent of all businesses in seven of the eight sectors that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects to grow the fastest over the next decade. They also play a large role in founding both Main Street businesses1 and high-tech firms.2
Sources:
1 David Dyssegaard Kallick, “Bringing Vitality to Main Street: How Immigrant Small Businesses Help Local Economies Grow,” New York: Fiscal Policy Institute and Americas Society/Council of the Americas, 2015. Available online.
2 Vivek Wadhwa et al., “America’s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Part I,” SSRN Scholarly Paper (Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network, 2007). Available online.
Share of Businesses Started by Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Seven Key Sectors, 2007-2011
Immigrants Found both Main Street Businesses and High-Tech Firms
Business Ownership Among Immigrant Groups
Looking at specific ethnic and national origin groups within the immigrant population, we find that many exhibit entrepreneurship rates higher than the native-born. At right we highlight the particular contributions of Middle Eastern business owners in Detroit, a group frequently credited with helping to spur the city’s recent economic comeback.
Sources:
3 Steve Tobocman, “Guide to Immigrant Economic Development,” Welcoming America, accessed July 5, 2016. Available online.
4 New American Economy, "Reason for Reform: Entrepreneurship," October 2016. Available online.
Entrepreneurship Rates for Immigrant Subgroups, 2014
Immigrants and the Fortune 500
Consistent with past NAE research, a significant number of firms on the most recent Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or their children. These companies make enormous contributions to both the U.S. and global economy. They also live on beyond their founders, generating jobs and revenue long after their visionaries retire or move on.
Visa Obstacles
Currently, there is no visa for those who want to come to the United States, start a company, and create jobs for U.S. workers. To access a visa, many immigrant entrepreneurs choose to sell a majority stake in their company and then apply for a visa as a high-skilled worker rather than as the owner of the firm. Our broken H-1B visa system, however, means that many entrepreneurs cannot get a visa before the cap is exhausted each year. In 2016, the White House proposed a rule that would make it easier for entrepreneurs to remain in the country, but it is clear a more permanent, legislative fix is needed.5
Sources:
5 Issie Lapowski, “White House Proposes a New Immigration Rule for Entrepreneurs,” WIRED, accessed December 14, 2016. Available online.
6“USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY 2016,” USCIS, accessed December 14, 2016. Available online.
Low-Skilled Entrepreneurship
Immigrant entrepreneurs are hardly a monolithic group. While much of the attention is focused on high-skilled foreign-born entrepreneurs that drive innovation in Silicon Valley, immigrant entrepreneurs with humbler backgrounds continue to play critical roles in the U.S. economy. Founding retail shops, restaurants, and personal service businesses, these immigrant entrepreneurs help towns and cities across the United States stay vibrant. In sum, the over 2.1 million immigrant entrepreneurs with less than a college degree have a significant economic impact, creating billions of dollars in economic activity and providing jobs to thousands of Americans.
Top Industries Among Immigrant Entrepreneurs with Less than a Bachelor’s Degree, 2015
Entrepreneurship Rates of Workers in Various Demographic Groups, 2015
Business Income of Less-Skilled Immigrant Entrepreneurs, 2015
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