Cambridge Caregivers in the Dallas Morning
In 2019, immigrants in Texas made up 17.1% of the population but 21.9% of the state’s overall workforce.
Immigrants in Texas account for over 20% of the state’s workforce, a new study says.
The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas evaluates the role immigrants in Texas play across many industries. The study was released by Texans for Economic Growth, a statewide coalition of over 125 member businesses created by the American Immigration Council in partnership with the Texas Association of Business and the Texas Business Leadership Council.
The report was compiled from studying job postings from any business on a job board or company website, LinkedIn, Monster.com, Indeed or similar websites. Researchers took the data that was spread across the entire internet and analyzed job postings.
Adam Lampert, CEO of Cambridge Caregivers and Manchester Care Homes, said the state is growing and needs to start embracing immigrant workers. Cambridge Caregivers and Manchester Care Homes is a member of Texans for Economic Growth.
“We cannot have growth and we cannot avoid inflation without embracing immigrants in our state,” he said.
The labor shortage has rippled through the country as a result of the pandemic and the subsequent growth of the economy. Legal immigration was also hurt by changing immigration policies and the pandemic.
Cambridge Caregivers offers services to seniors in their own homes and at Manchester Care Homes, and 80% of the company’s employees identify as immigrants, Lampert said. He said immigrant workers have filled the gaps during the labor shortage.
Immigrant populations strengthen the Texas workforce, according to the research. In 2019, immigrants in Texas made up 17.1% of the population but 21.9% of the state’s overall workforce.
Justin Yancy, president of the Texas Business Leadership Council, said immigrants make up more than 13% of health care workers, according to the research.
“Texas is in critical need of qualified, bilingual health care professionals, and immigrants to our country — whether they are holding a visa, are a DACA recipient or a newly naturalized U.S. citizen — are helping to relieve this labor shortage,” Yancy said.
Manufacturing is a key economic driver in the state, and immigrants made up 28.3% of all production workers in Texas in 2019, according to the study.
Dallas-Fort Worth added 294,700 jobs in the 12 months ended in May, roughly three times more than the typical annual gain before the pandemic, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. America’s employers made 372,000 hires in June.
Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, said the state needs to continue to invest in the growing workforce.
“We need to do everything we can to ensure we have the right immigration policies in place so that some of the hardest-working people on the planet can come to the U.S. and contribute to our economy,” Hamer said.
