Our Immigrant Population Helps Power NYC Economy

January 11, 2017

Table of Contents

Countries of Origin of New York City Immigrants

New York City has 3.3 million foreign-born immigrants, from more than 150 countries, who comprise nearly 40% of the City population.

Country/Region of Origin
Number
Percent
Dominican Republic
453,176
13.70%
China
332,255
10.00%
Jamaica
185,681
5.60%
Mexico
179,613
5.40%
Guyana
140,340
4.20%
Ecuador
138,295
4.20%
Haiti
91,595
2.80%
India
91,048
2.70%
Trinidad & Tobago
89,302
2.70%
Bangladesh
83,949
2.50%
Colombia
69,777
2.10%
Ukraine
66,339
2.00%
Philippines
65,657
2.00%
Korea
64,747
2.00%
Russia
62,475
1.90%
Pakistan
54,214
1.60%
Poland
52,648
1.60%
Italy
49,531
1.50%
Hong Kong
39,290
1.20%
Peru
32,822
1.00%
Uzbekistan
32,606
1.00%
El Salvador
31,624
1.00%
Honduras
30,281
0.90%
Guatemala
29,524
0.90%
Israel
29,372
0.90%
Canada
28,711
0.90%
Nigeria
28,616
0.90%
Ghana
25,504
0.80%
France
23,635
0.70%
Greece
22,765
0.70%
Germany
21,515
0.60%
Egypt
20,981
0.60%
Japan
20,969
0.60%
Africa, Other & Unspec.
20,964
0.60%
Barbados
20,150
0.60%
Panama
19,832
0.60%
Taiwan
19,822
0.60%
United Kingdom
19,725
0.60%
England
17,613
0.50%
Grenada
17,595
0.50%
Cuba
16,509
0.50%
Other Europe
15,173
0.50%
Vietnam
14,968
0.50%
St Vincent and Grenadines
14,389
0.40%
Romania
13,344
0.40%
Ireland
13,113
0.40%
Yemen
11,703
0.40%
Brazil
11,556
0.30%
Western Africa
11,022
0.30%
West Indies
10,745
0.30%
Argentina
10,727
0.30%
Spain
10,642
0.30%
Nicaragua
10,356
0.30%
Malaysia
10,169
0.30%
Australia
10,136
0.30%
Turkey
10,070
0.30%
Belarus
9,321
0.30%
Senegal
8,864
0.30%
Myanmar
8,781
0.30%
USSR
8,776
0.30%
Dominica
8,665
0.30%
St Lucia
8,436
0.30%
Caribbean
8,259
0.20%
Nepal
8,136
0.20%
Venezuela
7,680
0.20%
Azerbaijan
7,594
0.20%
Morocco
7,504
0.20%
Montenegro
7,407
0.20%
Hungary
7,269
0.20%
Georgia
6,969
0.20%
Antigua & Barbuda
6,342
0.20%
Thailand
6,318
0.20%
Iran
6,227
0.20%
Costa Rica
5,506
0.20%
Bulgaria
5,424
0.20%
Yugoslavia
5,323
0.20%
Sri Lanka
5,030
0.20%
South Africa
4,996
0.20%
Syria
4,847
0.10%
Belize
4,741
0.10%
Kazakhstan
4,729
0.10%
Middle East, Other & Unspec.
4,669
0.10%
Austria
4,600
0.10%
Switzerland
4,342
0.10%
Asia, Other & Unspec.
4,247
0.10%
Croatia
4,195
0.10%
Chile
4,186
0.10%
Indonesia
4,155
0.10%
Macedonia
4,143
0.10%
Lebanon
4,003
0.10%
Afghanistan
3,891
0.10%
Moldova
3,786
0.10%
Sweden
3,662
0.10%
South Central Asia
3,626
0.10%
Gambia
3,477
0.10%
Togo
3,469
0.10%
Netherlands
3,325
0.10%
Armenia
3,301
0.10%
Kenya
3,292
0.10%
Serbia
3,098
0.10%
Belgium
3,053
0.10%
Americas, Other & Unspec.
2,942
0.10%
Guinea
2,828
0.10%
Lithuania
2,763
0.10%
Bolivia
2,527
0.10%
Singapore
2,460
0.10%
South America
2,377
0.10%
Slovakia
2,373
0.10%
Jordan
2,339
0.10%
Ethiopia
2,254
0.10%
Uruguay
2,211
0.10%
Latvia
2,191
0.10%
Portugal
2,151
0.10%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
2,061
0.10%
New Zealand
2,020
0.10%
Sudan
1,976
0.10%
Algeria
1,975
0.10%
Northern Africa
1,949
0.10%
Liberia
1,944
0.10%
Sierra Leone
1,941
0.10%
Paraguay
1,709
0.10%
Cambodia
1,684
0.10%
TOTAL
3,315,519
100%

NOTE: These estimates are based on weighted survey data from the 2015 American Community Survey, which is a representative sample of the U.S. population, not a complete count. Caution should be used in interpreting these estimates, particularly when they are based on relatively few sample observations, as is the case for many of the smaller countries in this table.

Foreign Born Percentage of Working Population in Select Cities

New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Immigrants make up 46% of the City’s workforce – a higher share than in any major city except Miami.

City

% of Workers Foreign Born

Miami

60%

Silicon Valley

47%

New York City

46%

San Jose

44%

Los Angeles

42%

San Francisco

37%

San Diego

29%

Chicago

26%

Average Weeks Worked per Year by Foreign and U.S. born New York City Residents

Immigrants are employed at the same rate as U.S.-born New Yorkers and they work as many or more hours per week, as well as more weeks per year, compared to U.S.-born New Yorkers.

Weeks/Year

U.S. Born

Foreign Born

50 to 52

78.4%

79.4%

48 to 49

2.0%

2.3%

40 to 47

5.0%

5.1%

27 to 39

4.9%

5.1%

14 to 26

4.2%

3.9%

< 14

5.6%

4.3%

Total

100%

100%

Self Employment-Among U.S. and Foreign Born New York City Residents

With 53% of self-employed New Yorkers who are foreign born, and 51% of all business owners, immigrants are entrepreneurial. A majority of business owners in New York City (83,000) are foreign-born.

U.S. Born

Foreign Born

Total

Percent Foreign Born

Self Employed

237,000

265,000

501,000

53%

Self Employed in Own Business

81,000

83,000

164,000

51%

Earned Income of U.S. and Foreign Born New York City Residents

Immigrants earn $100 billion a year – nearly one-third of all earned income in New York City

U.S. Born

Foreign Born

Total

Percent Foreign Born

Earned Income

$209 Billion

$100 Billion

$309 Billion

32%

U.S. and Foreign Born New York City Residents Living in Family Owned Homes

Of City home-owners, 46% (451,000) of 991,000 are foreign-born.

U.S Born

Foreign Born

Total

Homes owned

539,770

451,300

991,070

Residents

1,788,000

1,105,000

2,893,000

Educational Attainment of New York City Immigrants, by Decade of Entry

Immigrants are increasingly well educated. More than a quarter of recent immigrants have a college or graduate degree. Between the 1990s and 2000s, the number of immigrants with a graduate degree has jumped by more than 60 percent. Since the 1980s, immigrants coming to NYC with a graduate degree has more than doubled.

Decade of Entry

No College Degree

BA/BS

Graduate Degree

pre-1950

24,525

2,108

5,138

50s

72,161

7,096

6,710

60s

159,001

19,930

16,515

70s

230,216

48,001

32,789

80s

457,836

96,083

65,901

90s

623,945

159,693

90,343

2000s

1,027,961

215,156

148,662

Industries Where Foreign Born New York City Residents Work

Within the “entertainment”, “medical”, “technology”, and “financial analysis” industries, 54%, 50%, 47%, and 44% of employees respectively are foreign born.

Industry

Foreign Born

Native Born

Percent Foreign Born

Professional Services

400,039

658,373

38%

Medical

353,437

348,057

50%

Retail/Wholesale

274,878

313,114

47%

Entertainment

264,169

229,598

54%

Utilities and Const.

177,188

97,735

64%

Transportation

161,656

119,759

57%

Other Services

159,803

106,728

60%

Education

140,225

311,908

31%

Family Services

112,487

108,759

51%

Manufacturing

104,120

71,368

59%

Administration

62,646

117,346

35%

Information

44,491

130,880

25%

Occupations of Foreign Born New York City Residents

Occupation Foreign Born Native Total Percent Foreign Born
Nursing and Home Health 141,437 42,420 183,857 77%
Janitorial 130,646 71,526 202,172 65%
Drivers 127,231 53,456 180,687 70%
Sales 110,956 139,073 250,029 44%
Personal Care 90,563 71,302 161,865 56%
Construction 88,311 31,790 120,101 74%
Cooks and Food Prep. 71,282 34,018 105,300 68%
Food Serving 55,743 56,731 112,474 50%
Financial Analysts 53,389 68,994 122,383 44%
Nurses/Med. Therapists 52,099 51,774 103,873 50%
Tech./Computer Related 50,537 57,914 108,451 47%
Sales 47,868 51,500 99,368 48%
Managers 45,596 76,523 122,119 37%
Office Workers 45,464 53,085 98,549 46%
Barbers & Hairdressers 42,031 14,708 56,739 74%
Preschool Teachers 39,203 103,941 143,144 27%
Medical Technicians 38,576 34,294 72,870 53%
Construction 38,453 23,443 61,896 62%
Office Workers 38,264 85,357 123,621 31%
Office Clerks 37,603 60,253 97,856 38%
Unemployed 37,395 58,339 95,734 39%
Transportation Operators 36,351 32,135 68,486 53%
Misc. Office 33,574 58,514 92,088 36%
Billing and Bookkeeping 32,707 42,737 75,444 43%
Chefs and Cooks 31,806 14,615 46,421 69%
Security Workers 29,959 46,700 76,659 39%
Artists/Designers 28,905 49,622 78,527 37%
Other Managers 28,788 43,008 71,796 40%
Counselors 28,567 64,608 93,175 31%
Medical Professionals 26,557 31,011 57,568 46%
HR Managers 26,327 50,339 76,666 34%
Clothing Production 25,973 4,446 30,419 85%
Business Analysts 22,730 53,984 76,714 30%
Teaching Assistants 22,477 40,159 62,636 36%
Science Managers 22,283 45,850 68,133 33%
Office Assistants 21,613 40,884 62,497 35%
Business Managers 21,417 41,774 63,191 34%
Machine Workers 21,201 9,536 30,737 69%
Food Service 20,007 16,432 36,439 55%
Performers 19,163 61,326 80,489 24%
Postsecondary Teachers 19,090 36,376 55,466 34%
Sales 18,987 29,656 48,643 39%
Chief Executives 18,955 38,547 57,502 33%
Car Repair 18,492 11,209 29,701 62%
Medical Assistants 17,632 22,031 39,663 44%
Machine Repair 17,605 19,740 37,345 47%
Office Supervisors 16,636 23,290 39,926 42%
Sales Agents 13,874 43,691 57,565 24%
Law Clerks 13,207 56,752 69,959 19%
Food Production 12,597 6,030 18,627 68%
Sales Representatives 12,594 17,110 29,704 42%
Chemical Productions 12,025 6,121 18,146 66%
Actors/Directors 11,321 46,644 57,965 20%
Marketing Managers 9,993 30,100 40,093 25%
Police Related 9,503 29,073 38,576 25%
Transportation Attendants 9,316 7,429 16,745 56%
Other Teachers 9,117 27,275 36,392 25%
Administrative Support 8,475 19,133 27,608 31%
Porters and Bellhops 8,446 8,054 16,500 51%
Grounds Maintenance 7,040 7,212 14,252 49%
Paralegals 6,923 17,395 24,318 28%
Engineers 6,846 5,571 12,417 55%
Cameramen 5,931 16,265 22,196 27%
Religious Workers 5,737 5,248 10,985 52%
Business Specialists 5,333 9,549 14,882 36%
Biological Scientists 5,191 4,283 9,474 55%
Surveyors 4,967 4,136 9,103 55%
Janitorial Supervisors 4,695 3,756 8,451 56%
Architects 4,606 5,610 10,216 45%
Scientific Technicians 4,509 7,238 11,747 38%
Social Scientists 4,479 11,419 15,898 28%
Technical Drawing 3,312 4,499 7,811 42%
Physical Scientists 3,275 3,328 6,603 50%
Actuaries 3,101 2,316 5,417 57%
Personal Service Supervisors 2,579 926 3,505 74%

Prepared by Andrew McWilliam, Senior Research Economist • Bureau of Budget •

$242 billion
Aug
2022