
As workers and consumers, immigrants play a role in the labor markets and economies of the countries in which they settle. The research collected here examines how immigrants fare in the labor market, whether they are affected differently than native-born workers during cycles of boom and bust, the role of migration policymaking as a lever of competitiveness, employment of the foreign born by sector and skill, and the fiscal impacts of immigration. MPI's research also assesses the role of temporary workers and the labor recruitment process.
Fact Sheets October 2025 By Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier | Articles October 16, 2025 ByAllison Rutland and Jeanne Batalova |
Multimedia September 8, 2025 | Multimedia September 8, 2025 |
Articles September 10, 2025 ByFrank Laczko and Neli Esipova | Reports September 2025 By Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman |
Articles September 4, 2025 ByTsveta Dobreva and Jeanne Batalova |
Fact Sheets October 2025 By Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier | Reports September 2025 By Margie McHugh, Julia Gelatt, Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, Katherine Habben, Jacob Hofstetter and Julie Sugarman |
Reports June 2025 By Kate Hooper, Tesseltje de Lange and Jasmijn Slootjes | Reports June 2025 By Diego Chaves-González, María Jesús Mora, Ana Alanis and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan |
Reports June 2025 By Diego Chaves-González, María Jesús Mora, Ana Alanis and Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan | Policy Briefs May 2025 By Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Doris Meissner and Andrew Selee |
Policy Briefs April 2025 By Meghan Benton, Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan and Kate Hooper | Reports April 2025 By Elizabeth Collett |
Approximately 2.5 million sub-Saharan African immigrants lived in the United States in 2024—more than triple the number in 2000—with most coming from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, or South Africa. This article offers a range of information about this diverse group, which has higher educational attainment and English proficiency than the overall immigrant population, and tends to have higher income.
The United States remains the top destination for Chinese students studying internationally, although numbers have declined significantly in recent years. Most Chinese students at U.S. colleges and universities say they have experienced discrimination, and those who have are much more likely to want return to China, according to survey data contained in this article.
People from the Philippines comprise the fourth largest U.S. immigrant group. Characteristics of this group reflect the long history of migration, dating back to before the islands' time as a U.S. colony. Filipino immigrants are more likely to be U.S. citizens, have a college degree, and higher median household incomes than immigrants overall. This article offers insights on the population's current and historical trends.
The number of international migrants globally has roughly doubled since 1990. Yet because the world's overall population has grown, the share of all people living outside their country of origin is only slightly higher than it was then. This useful, data-rich article puts the global migrant population in context, offering current and historical statistics about the cross-border movements of workers, students, refugees and asylum seekers, and others.
Las personas de América Central representan casi uno de cada diez inmigrantes en los Estados Unidos, una población en rápido crecimiento. La mayoría de los inmigrantes centroamericanos provienen de El Salvador, Guatemala o Honduras. Este artículo proporciona información sobre la población inmigrante centroamericana en los Estados Unidos.

The question of whether immigration represents a net cost or a net benefit to the U.S. economy has been a major source of contention, even as the research literature and thinking among economists has been quite clear. A strong body of research and consensus by most economists finds that immigration, on balance, is a net positive for the U.S. economy. This explainer walks through the issues.

Through which visa categories can immigrants move temporarily or permanently to the United States? What are the main channels by which people come, and who can sponsor them for a green card? Are there limits on visa categories? And who is waiting in the green-card backlog? This explainer answers basic questions about temporary and permanent immigration via family, employment, humanitarian, and other channels.

Esta conversación oportuna y provocadora sobre la migración en las Américas presenta los principales hallazgos de los autores, patrones sorprendentes y las urgentes preguntas de política pública que enfrenta hoy América Latina y el Caribe.

This timely and thought-provoking conversation on migration in the Americas features discussion of the new book On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean, surprising patterns, and the urgent policy questions facing Latin America and the Caribbean today.

Labor shortages are increasingly driving some countries to look outside their borders for workers. Can labor mobility be managed in a way that benefits workers, employers, countries of origin, and countries of destination alike? This World of Migration episode focuses on India and the implications of large-scale emigration for its economic advancement.

Top analysts assess the most consequential immigration actions taken during the first 100 days of President Trump's second term, detail the litigation picture, and analyze some of the early effects of policies on U.S. communities.

Many countries need more workers to fill jobs in clean energy and other sectors that are critical in the fight against climate change. In this episode of our podcast Changing Climate, Changing Migration, Migration Policy Institute senior policy analyst Kate Hooper discusses the role immigrants can play.
The 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of mid-2023 reflect increasingly diverse origins, socioeconomic and labor market characteristics, family composition, and places of settlement. This fact sheet explores those trends, drawing on MPI's detailed data profiles of the unauthorized immigrant population at U.S., state, and top county levels.
Approximately 2.5 million sub-Saharan African immigrants lived in the United States in 2024—more than triple the number in 2000—with most coming from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, or South Africa. This article offers a range of information about this diverse group, which has higher educational attainment and English proficiency than the overall immigrant population, and tends to have higher income.
Esta conversación oportuna y provocadora sobre la migración en las Américas presenta los principales hallazgos de los autores, patrones sorprendentes y las urgentes preguntas de política pública que enfrenta hoy América Latina y el Caribe.
This timely and thought-provoking conversation on migration in the Americas features discussion of the new book On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean, surprising patterns, and the urgent policy questions facing Latin America and the Caribbean today.
The United States remains the top destination for Chinese students studying internationally, although numbers have declined significantly in recent years. Most Chinese students at U.S. colleges and universities say they have experienced discrimination, and those who have are much more likely to want return to China, according to survey data contained in this article.
Immigrants comprise 15 percent of Connecticut’s population, and nearly 30 percent of children in the state are part of immigrant families. Having driven all state population and workforce growth over the last 15 years, immigrants are an important part of Connecticut’s present and its future. This report examines state policies and systems that aim to support upward mobility for all families, highlighting ways in which they could better meet the needs of low-income immigrant families.
People from the Philippines comprise the fourth largest U.S. immigrant group. Characteristics of this group reflect the long history of migration, dating back to before the islands' time as a U.S. colony. Filipino immigrants are more likely to be U.S. citizens, have a college degree, and higher median household incomes than immigrants overall. This article offers insights on the population's current and historical trends.
The number of international migrants globally has roughly doubled since 1990. Yet because the world's overall population has grown, the share of all people living outside their country of origin is only slightly higher than it was then. This useful, data-rich article puts the global migrant population in context, offering current and historical statistics about the cross-border movements of workers, students, refugees and asylum seekers, and others.

This easy-to-use online guide compiles some of the most credible governmental and authoritative nongovernmental data sources pertaining to immigrants and immigration in the United States and internationally. The guide directly links users to more than 220 data sources, organized by topic and region, and offers tips on how to access more complicated datasets.
Michelle Mittelstadt
202-266-1910
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