Innovation and STEM Fields
For America to compete in the 21st century, we need a robust innovation economy—which requires a workforce skilled in the science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM) fields. Yet American students are not entering those industries in sufficient numbers, and the United States is projected to face a shortage of one million STEM workers by 2022.1 Foreign-born students frequently gravitate towards STEM disciplines, making up roughly one out of every three individuals earning graduate-level STEM degrees each year. Our broken visa system, however, makes it difficult for many of them to stay after graduation—a reality that hurts the ability of our employers to expand and create more opportunity for American workers. 1 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, "Engage to Excel: Producing 1 million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics," February 2012. Available online.
Rand Paul: ‘Amnesty’ a Muddled Term that Has ‘Trapped’ GOP
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that the term “amnesty” –- a charge often levied in clashes between the Tea Party and pragmatic wings of the GOP — has “trapped” the Republican Party. “I think we’ve been somewhat trapped by rhetoric… Read More
Rand Paul on immigration: GOP trapped in word ‘amnesty’
(CNN) – Immigration may not have been “the paramount issue” in Eric Cantor’s crushing primary loss, Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday. The Kentucky Republican, on a conference call with reporters, added that he’s still in favor of immigration reform and partly blamed… Read More
Rand Paul on Immigration Reform: ‘Amnesty Is a Word That’s Trapped Us’
Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) said conservatives have been “trapped” by referring to legalizing undocumented immigrants as amnesty – the word David Brat used to propel his primary victory over House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.). “We’ve been somewhat trapped by… Read More
Paul: Immigration reform did not sink Cantor
FRANKFORT, KY. — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that “the ball is moving forward” on immigration reform despite the surprise defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Virginia primary. Cantor lost to Dave Brat, a little-known economics professor whose campaign focused largely on… Read More
Hispanic entrepreneurs need immigration reform
Like many Hispanics, my father possessed a strong entrepreneurial spirit. At the age of 21, he immigrated to the United States from Cuba and then served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After the war, he landed himself a job in the New York Times’ newsroom… Read More
Dearth of work visas slow Houston’s tech scene
Houston and U.S. technology companies in over 200 metropolitan areas faced difficulties hiring workers due to a lack of H-1B worker’s visas, a recent study shows. According to a study produced by the Partnership for a New American Economy, in 2007 and 2008, the system of… Read More
Report: Slowdown in immigrant workers also translates to fewer opportunities for Americans
Americans would have better job opportunities if more foreign-born workers could make a living in America, a new report asserts. H-1B visa denials in 2007 and 2008 have had a negative impact on job opportunities and wage growth for U.S.-born technology workers in more than 200… Read More
H-1B visa limits hamper U.S. economy, study finds
Capping the number of visas issued to foreign-born tech workers restricts the number of U.S-born workers that firms could hire – and the Bay Area is feeling the brunt of that impact, according to a new study. Tech interests have long wanted to increase the number… Read More
TAG Calls for Action Following Report on Visa Lottery Gaps
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) today issued a call for legislative action to be taken in light of a new report from The Partnership for a New American Economy. The report details how existing H-1B visa lottery caps disproportionately hurt U.S.-born tech workers… Read More
Immigration Reform Advocates Hit The Hill With Studies
Eager to revive House GOP interest in immigration reform before the August congressional recess, advocates for reform put out a slew of new studies Thursday. One posits that the short supply of H-1B temporary workers negatively affects tech job creation and wage growth for American workers,… Read More
Outsize Role in the Workforce
Immigrants punch above their weight class in the STEM fields, making up far larger portions of the STEM workforce than they do the U.S. population overall. This dynamic is particularly pronounced in several states. In New Jersey, for instance, immigrants make up almost two out of every five STEM workers, while accounting for only one in five of the state’s residents.
States with the Highest Share of Foreign-Born STEM Workers, 2014
Labor Shortages
In recent years, many U.S. employers have struggled to find enough STEM workers. This lack of manpower has real consequences for the economy—making it difficult for firms to expand and create jobs for American workers at all skill levels. In several specialized fields, like physical science and software development, the unemployment rates of U.S.-born STEM workers are particularly low, indicating there are simply not enough U.S.-born workers to meet the needs of employers.
Take a look at our latest research about the shortage of STEM workers.
U.S. Citizen Unemployment Rates in STEM Fields Most Heavily Reliant on Immigrant STEM Workers, 2014
Earning STEM Degrees
International students make up a large share of STEM graduate students. In 2014, more than a quarter of STEM master’s degrees and more than a third of STEM Ph.D. degrees went to students in the country on temporary visas. Meanwhile, the number of American citizen and permanent resident students pursuing graduate degrees in science and engineering fields actually fell by 6.3 percent between 2010 and 2013.2 Our broken immigration system means that many of these international students will struggle to remain in the country after graduation, despite employers needing them.
Sources:
2 National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators, 2016, Appendix Table 2-25. Available online.
Share of Ph.D.'s in Selected Fields Going to Students on Temporary Visas, 2014
States Graduating the Most STEM Students on Temporary Visas, 2014
States Needing STEM Workers
While every state was short STEM workers in 2015, the shortage was particularly acute in North Dakota and South Dakota, where employers listed 87 and 71 STEM positions, respectively, for each unemployed STEM worker. These are gaps that immigrants could help fill. In South Dakota, for instance, immigrants made up just three percent of all STEM workers in 2015, one of the lowest shares in the country.
States with Greatest Shortages of STEM Workers, 2014
Creating U.S. Jobs
Rather than reduce the number of jobs available to American workers, foreign-born STEM graduates often create additional jobs for U.S.-born workers. Research shows that when a state gains 100 foreign-born STEM workers with graduate-level training from a U.S. school, an average of 262 jobs are created for U.S.-born workers there in the seven years that follow.3 More specifically, the temporary visa (H-1B) program for high-skilled workers is also linked to job creation for American workers and economic growth. However, the current system fails not only to provide visas that companies need to grow, but also to protect against fraud and abuse.
Sources:
3 Madeline Zavodny, “Immigration and American Jobs,” The Partnership for a New American Economy and the American Enterprise Institute, 2011. Available online.
States that Stand to Gain the Most from Retaining More Foreign-Born STEM Graduates
The Impact of our Broken Immigration System
Since the recession, some of the most robust growth in high-wage, American jobs has occurred in cities. The high-tech companies fueling this growth cannot succeed and grow, however, without qualified STEM professionals—a group that can be difficult to find. An annual cap on the number of available green cards and H-1B visas hinders efforts to hire immigrant STEM professionals when no American workers are available. At right, we explore how the H-1B requests for computer-related workers that did not make it through the 2007 and 2008 H-1B visa lotteries impacted wages and the number of jobs available for U.S.-born tech workers in the two years that followed.4
Sources:
4 Partnership for a New American Economy, “Closing Economic Windows: How H-1B Visa Denials Cost U.S.-Born Tech Workers Jobs and Wages During the Great Recession," June 4, 2014. Available online.
Metropolitan Areas Hurt Most by 2007 and 2008 Denials in the H-1B Lottery
Driving Innovation
International STEM students and graduates are behind some of America’s most impressive innovations, from artificial skin to moldable metal. Studies show that immigrants with an advanced degree are three times more likely than U.S.-born graduate degree holders to file a patent. When universities increase their share of international students, they often receive more patents—boosting revenue and creating more opportunities for all students.
Share of Patents Awarded to Top Patent Producing Research Universities with at Least One Foreign-Born Inventor, 2011
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