Immigrants in Iowa: What New Iowans Contribute to the State Economy

Although immigrants make up only 4.3 percent of Iowa's population, they account for 4.5 percent of the state's economic output, according to this report from the Iowa Policy Project. Moreover, 83.5 percent of immigrants are of prime working age (between 18 and 64), compared to 60.5 percent of native-born Iowans. Immigrants are overrepresented in certain occupations in Iowa, e.g. 56.3 Percent of meat cutters; 33.2 percent of packers, fillers, and wrappers; and 16.3 percent of software developers. Immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, contribute to the state's economy by starting businesses, creating jobs, spending money as consumers, paying state and federal taxes, and "contribut(ing) to the vitality and culture of Iowa communities." The report takes a closer look at the undocumented subset of Iowa's immigrant population which represents about 2.5 percent of the state's population, or about 75,000 persons. They contribute about $37 million in federal payroll taxes and $64 million in state taxes, yet are barred from accessing most federal, state and local government programs. The authors estimate that work authorization for Iowa's undocumented population would boost state and local tax contributions by $16.5 million. (American Immigrant Policy Portal)

Download now or view online.