Revisiting America’s Demographic Challenge: How Increasing Immigration Can Bring the United States Out of the Covid-19 Economic Slump and Maintain Its Global Competitive Edge

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the total number of immigrants legally entering the United States declined by 87% in 2020. This report, written by Rachel Iacona of the Bipartisan Policy Center, argues that immigration should play a larger role in building the future workforce and in growing the U.S. economy. Immigration can mitigate some of the negative economic impacts of slowing population growth and an aging population. According to the Census Bureau, high immigration levels can delay the year in which the population of those over 65 exceeds the population under the age of 18. If the U.S. does not increase legal immigration, the country might sacrifice its position as the world’s largest economy by 2030. Moreover, funding for vital programs, like Social Security, could be depleted by 2034, and even sooner according to some experts as a result of the pandemic. The 2019 American Community Survey data indicates that immigrants had $1.3 trillion in collective spending power. Immigrant business owners accounted for 25% of new firms and played an important role in creating new job opportunities. The report concludes that Congress must enact long-lasting immigration reform that recognizes and reflects the economic and demographic benefits that immigrants bring to the entire nation. (Volunteer for The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)