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.
Conservatives Need to to Fix the Broken U.S. Immigration System
Sal Russo is the co-founder of the Tea Party Express. The U.S. immigration system is flawed and broken. Conservatives should be at the forefront of reform so the law reflects the just interests of the United States, not misty-eyed ideals of some of the liberal do-gooder reformers. What is good… Read More
It’s Time for Immigration Reform
Simply stated, immigration reform is about economic growth. In Washington state alone, if undocumented immigrants followed a path to legal citizenship it would generate more than 12,700 jobs and more than $1.1 billion for the state, according to Regional Economic Models, Inc. Vital industries are facing substantial labor… Read More
The case for a more immigrant-friendly, diverse Cincinnati
This month, the Brandery, a nationally top-10 ranked accelerator located in Over-the-Rhine, hosted a fast-paced roundtable discussion on global talent attraction, immigration reform and the need for a more diverse Cincinnati. The event was part of a national series called #iCodeImmigration: Acceleration Immigration Reform brought together locally by… Read More
Guest Opinion: Reform necessary to encourage immigrant entrepreneurs
Meaningful immigration reform will have a significant impact on job growth and the economy. According to the Kauffman Foundation, immigrants are twice as likely to start a new business as native-born Americans. Unfortunately, our current immigration policies make it exceptionally difficult for foreign entrepreneurs to establish these new businesses. We… Read More
Cincinnati region lags on immigration
Every year at the great universities in this region, we hand degrees to hundreds of students from around the globe. At the University of Cincinnati alone this spring, nearly 500 of the graduates came from more than 70 countries. Few of these graduates stay here; some must return to their… Read More
Immigration boosts business and economic growth
Many Virginians recognize the important contributions local businesses make to the state’s economy — entrepreneurs create jobs and generate revenue that benefit both the worker and consumer. Few people realize, however, how large a role immigrants play in driving this growth. Some of Virginia’s largest companies were founded by immigrants… Read More
Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg Group Rolls Out Ads Pushing Immigration Reform
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg may be out of office, but at least one project he actively participated in is still going strong. A group he backs, the Partnership for a New American Economy, is rolling out an ad campaign to push Congress to pass comprehensive… Read More
Bloomberg-linked group launches new ads for immigration overhaul
A group backed by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is launching a new round of ads to encourage Congress to overhaul the nation’s immigration system this year. And in an effort to target Washington insiders, the ads from the Partnership for a New American Economy will start appearing… Read More
Cincinnati Start-up Community Talks Immigration
Panel touts Cincinnati’s successes, but cautions D.C. inaction will hinder continued growth CINCINNATI, OHIO – Influential members of Cincinnati’s vibrant start-up and tech scene joined together this morning at one of the country’s hottest seed accelerators, The Brandery in Over-the-Rhine for a fast-paced roundtable discussion on global… Read More
Cincinnati startup community advocates for immigration overhaul
As changes to the United States’ immigration policy are being debated on Capitol Hill, a group of Cincinnati startup and tech luminaries, business leaders and economic development forces met at the Brandery on Wednesday morning to explain why the topic is important locally. Brandery co-founder Rob… 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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