Guest Blog Post from New American Economy: New Report Shows Immigrant Contributions to Fargo-Moorhead Area Advance the Economy

New Report Shows Immigrant Contributions to Fargo-Moorhead Area Advance the Economy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2016
CONTACT
Sarah Roy, New American Economy, Sarah@renewoureconomy.org

New Report Shows Immigrant Contributions to Fargo-Moorhead Area Advance the Economy

Fargo, ND – Today New American Economy has released new research showing that the 10,663 foreign-born residents of the Fargo-Moorhead metro area make significant contributions to the region’s economy through millions of dollars in tax contributions and spending power, and high rates of workforce participation in key local industries.

The report, “New Americans in the Fargo-Moorhead Region,” finds:

• In 2014, foreign-born residents contributed $542.8 million to the metro area’s GDP, including $13.8 million in state and local taxes. This groups also wields $149.4 million in spending power.
• Foreign-born residents in Fargo tend to have higher levels of educational attainment. In 2014, 27.6% of immigrants in Fargo held at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 23.6% of the U.S.-born population. About 11.3% of the immigrants held advanced degrees, compared with 5.8% of the U.S.-born population.
• In fall 2014, 1,597 students enrolled in colleges and universities in the metro area held temporary resident visas. These students supported 343 local jobs and contributed $36.5 million in spending in that academic year.
  • If Fargo retains one half of its international students with a bachelor’s degree or higher after graduation, 373 local jobs will be created within six years, boosting the metro area’s real GDP by $84 million.
• Because of the role immigrants play in the workforce helping companies keep jobs on U.S. soil, it’s estimated that in 2014, the 10,663 immigrants and refugees living in Fargo helped create or preserve 490 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved elsewhere.
• Foreign-born households also support federal social programs. In 2014, foreign-born households in Fargo contributed $23.5 million to Social Security and $5.9 million to Medicare

With the release of this report, the Fargo Human Relations Commission is announcing the commencement of a process that will engage community leaders in an inclusive discussion of what the City of Fargo can do to ensure that all community members are welcomed and encouraged to succeed.  

Read the full report here.

About New American Economy

New American Economy (NAE) brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms that will help create jobs for Americans today. NAE members include mayors of more than 35 million people nationwide and business leaders of companies that generate more than $1.5 trillion and employ more than 4 million people across all sectors of the economy, from Agriculture to Aerospace, Hospitality to High Tech and Media to Manufacturing. NAE members understand that immigration is essential to maintaining the productive, diverse and flexible workforce that America needs to ensure prosperity over the coming generations. Learn more at www.RenewOurEconomy.org.