New research from New American Economy shows that immigrant households in Roanoke, VA earned nearly $304 million and contributed over $75 million in taxes in 2017. The report, New Americans in Roanoke, was produced in partnership with the City of Roanoke and Local Colors, a non-profit that celebrates the city’s diversity.
In addition to their financial contributions, such as $31 million to Social Security and $8.3 million to Medicare in 2017, the report shows how important immigrants are for Roanoke’s economy and workforce. Immigrants play a major role in vital industries, representing over 11 percent of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workers, and nearly 14 percent of general services and construction workers. The report also shows how immigrants helped strengthen the local job market by helping to preserve or create 545 manufacturing jobs that would have either disappeared or moved by 2017.
Read the complete report here.
