These demographic changes are shaping the U.S. workforce.
A study by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) found that in 2023, more immigrants were entering the workforce than American-born individuals, driven by an aging population and decreasing birth rates. Immigrants made up approximately 18% of the total workforce that year.
A separate study by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) estimates that as of January 2025, the immigrant population has risen further to 15.8% of the total U.S. population.
Mexicans remain the largest immigrant group, comprising 23% of the total foreign-born population, followed by Indians at 6% and Chinese at 5%. The fastest-growing immigrant groups come from Central and South America, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.