Immigrants in the MN Workforce

1
Immigrants in the MN Workforce Katherine
Fennelly Hubert H. Humphrey Institute University
of Minnesota Governors Workforce
Development Council Committee on
Supporting New Immigrants
2
Percent of Population that is Foreign-born MN
and US, 2000
5
Minnesota
11
U.S.
Source Census 2000
3
White, Non-Hispanics Minnesota, 2000
Source Census, SF3
4
So what accounts for the interest in diversity
in the state?
5

• Three distinguishing characteristics
• Rapid change
• Numbers of refugees
• High concentrations

6
Rapid Change
7
Increase in Foreign-born Population 1990-2000
Source US Census Bureau, 1990 Census of
Population and 2000 Census
8
Population Growth of English Language Learners in
Minnesota, 1990 - 2000
Source Minnesota Data Center, Department of
Children, Families and Learning Note Figure
reflects K-12 ILL students receiving services in
1999-2000.
9
Refugees
10
Percent of immigrants who are Refugees U.S. and
MN
MN
US
Source INS, 2002
11
High Concentrations
12
Percent of Immigrants in Twin Cities
Source Census 2000 SF3 Sample Data, Table P22.
13
Rural Areas
14
Percent Hispanic Population Change 1990
-2000(Omits counties with fewer than 50 Hispanic
persons in 1990)
Source Paul Voss, 2002
15
Voss slide 2
16
Vertical Integration of Agriculture
Photo sources Jennie-O Turkey Store, U.S.
Agricultural Research Service, 2003,
http//ucs.byu.edu/bioag/aghort/aghort100/grain.h
tm, factoryfarming.com and
17
Percent Minority Kindergarten Enrollment in MN
Districts Near Food Processing Plants, 2003-04
18
K-12 Enrollments with and without Minority
Students Rural MN Districts Near Food Processing
Plants
39000
38000
37000
36000
35000
Enrollments
34000
33000
With minority students
32000
31000
Without Minority Students
30000
29000
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
Years
19
Immigrants in the Minnesota Labor Force
20

The Graying of Rural America
Projected Increase in Minnesota Population Over
Age 65
Source Reinhart and Gillaspie, 2003
21
Older Workforce Is Growing Rapidly While Younger
Workers Are Decreasing MN 2002
Source Hazel Reinhart and Tom Gillaspie, 2002
22
MN Labor Force
Increase in All Workers and Latino Workers
1990-2000
23
Motives for Coming to MN

• Family Reunification

• Jobs

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Work Motive
(Tell us about when you first arrived in
Faribault)   The day I arrived in Faribault
was very good day for me.) My friends take me
from Minneapolis to Faribault. I was so very
happy to come to Faribault. The reason why I came
here was job and I got it.
25
Need for Immigration Reform
26
Immigrants Have Higher Proportion of Workers at
Both Extremes
Academics and scientists
Laborers
27
High Tech Workers

• 38 of scientists and engineers with doctoral
  degrees in the US are foreign-born
• 45 of those with doctorates in mathematics,
  computer science, physical and life sciences

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Need to change

• Cap of 65,000 visas for high tech workers
• combined with an aging US workforce threatens
  US
• advantage in research and development
• Limits and reductions in foreign student visas
• NSF, 2004 Immigration Policy Center Brief,
  2005

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Issues Facing Low Wage Workers
30
Restrictions Under NAFTA for Meeting the Demand
for Workers

• on the one hand, the free flow of
• capital, goods, and services has
• been expanded
• on the other hand, the flow of
• labor has been the subject of
• massive enforcement efforts and
• legal restrictions

Source US-Mexico Migration Panel, Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, 2001
31
Percentage of Employment-Based Visas That Were
Issued for Low Skilled Jobs 2002
Source Jachimowicz, 2004
32
Effects of Federal Immigration Reform IRCA,
1986
Sanctions on hiring undocumented migrants.

Subcontracting
33
Effects of Federal Immigration Reform
PRWORA, 1996
Undocumented Barred from social benefits
Limited educational benefits Legal immigrants
declines in TANF food stamp SSI
Medicaid
Source Fix and Passell, 2002
34
Poverty Among Foreign-born MN, 2000
Source Migration Information Source, Fact
Sheet on the Foreign-born 11/02
35
Policy Needs for Low Wage Workers

• Legal Entry
• Path to legalization
• Legal protections
• Entitlement to benefits

36
Policy Implications Economic Integration

• Living wage and reasonable benefits
• Opportunities for advancement
• Freedom of association
• Safe working conditions
• Availability of credit

37
Service needs

• Affordable housing
• Health care
• Affordable transportation
• Affordable childcare
• Good schools
• Legal assistance
• Interpreters and translation
• English language instruction

38
Effects of MN Budget Cuts on Immigrants

• Cuts in ABE and English classes
• Losses in health care coverage for legal
• immigrants
• Barriers to education of children of immigrants
• Weakening of immigrant advocacy groups

MN Council of Non-Profits, 2005
39
Dispel myths about the costs of immigration
40
Minnesota Community Survey
Percent Who Agree that Immigrants are hurting
our quality of life in Minnesota because they are
putting demands on our public schools and are
draining resources from the whole community
41
National Research Council Study of the Fiscal
Impacts of Immigration
In fact, most immigrants tend to arrive at young
working ages, which partly explains why the net
fiscal impact of immigration is positive under
most scenarios.
Source Smith and Edmonston, 1997
42
Studies often over-state the cost of immigration
by measuring costs before adults reach working
age
High cost investment
Low cost investment
43
Social Security Administration Report, 2005

• If legal immigration rises by one-third over
  the next 75 years, the result will be a 10
  percent reduction in the Social Security deficit
  
• If the number of immigrants falls by a third, the
  retirement system's shortfall will worsen by 10
  percent.

44
Policy Implications Education for Euro-Americans

• Myths about historical immigration
• Pull factors that bring people to the U.S.
• U.S. global role and responsibility
• Contributions of immigrants

45
Employers need to speak out

• Form coalitions with labor, non-profits and
  advocacy groups
• Press the Governor and the Legislature to
• recognize the importance of immigrants to the
  Minnesota economy
• reject discriminatory policies and legislation
• Develop policies to promote integration

46
In the coming decades New Minnesotans will
become an increasingly critical component of the
states workforce. However, budget cuts have
impacted programs that prepare these populations
for their role in our changing economy. MN
Council of Non-Profits