Study: Immigrants Help Save More Than 3,000 S.C. Manufacturing Jobs
Study: Immigrants Help Save More Than 3,000 S.C. Manufacturing Jobs
A new study by AS/COA and Partnership for a New American Economy details how immigration helps metro areas by creating or preserving manufacturing jobs and bolstering home values.
South Carolina business leaders hoping to see a breakthrough on immigration reform often point to the importance of immigrants in the state’s agricultural and hospitality sectors.
But a new study also details how immigration helps metro areas by creating or preserving manufacturing jobs and bolstering home values.
Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, said the study “illustrates the positive impact that substantive immigration reform will have on our economy.”
The report, “Immigration and the Revival of American Cities: From Preserving Manufacturing Jobs to Strengthening the Housing Market,” was prepared by Duke University professor Jacob Vigdor for the Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
Its conclusion: For every 1,000 immigrants living in the United States, 46 manufacturing jobs are created or saved. Vigdor’s data shows that:
In Greenville County, where the foreign-born population is 7.9 percent, immigrants have increased home values by $1,857 and helped save 1,584 manufacturing jobs.
In Richland County, where the foreign-born population is 5.3 percent, immigrants have increased home values by $814 and helped save 905 manufacturing jobs....
