Nearly a quarter of the city’s population, immigrants earned $7.9
billion in total income and contributed $2.5 billion in taxes in 2016
Dallas – Immigrant
households earned nearly $8 billion in 2016 and contributed $2.5 billion to
local, state, and federal taxes in 2016, according to a new research brief
released by New American Economy in partnership with the City of Dallas. The
report will be published at a roundtable event at the Dallas Federal Reserve on
February 28, 2018, “Immigrants in Dallas: Demographic and Economic
Contributions of New Americans.” Release of the report will be followed by a
panel discussion with local experts, including Dr. James Hollifield of the SMU
Tower Center; Dr. Pia Orrenius, of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; Laura
Collins of the George W. Bush Presidential Center; and Luis Veras, a
Dallas-based entrepreneur. The conversation will be moderated by Regina Montoya,
Chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Poverty. Media wishing to attend must RSVP to Yolanda.Ramirez@dallascityhall.com by end of business, Tuesday, Feb. 27.
In addition to their financial contributions, the report
shows the critical role the foreign-born population plays in the Dallas workforce.
Immigrants make up a significant portion of several of the area’s most
important industries, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
manufacturing and construction. Immigrants also account for nearly one-third of
all entrepreneurs in the city. The more than 20,000 immigrant entrepreneurs in Dallas
generated close to $496 million in business income in 2016.
The research also finds that immigrants eligible for
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are making significant economic
contributions. More than 93 percent of the DACA eligible population in the
Dallas metro area are employed, contributing $161 million in taxes and holding
nearly $700 million in spending power.
The research was released as the City of Dallas embarks on a
planning process bringing together
leaders across sectors to develop a
strategic plan to ensure that Dallas welcomes and harnesses the potential of
all residents. Dallas was one of ten communities selected nationally through
the Gateways for
Growth award to receive research from New
American Economy (NAE) and technical assistance from NAE and Welcoming America
to support this work.
“In
Dallas, we have long viewed diversity as a true asset. This report provides
evidence showing that immigrants are a major part of our growing economic engine,”
said Dallas mayor Michael S. Rawlings. “Accounting for over 40 percent of
Dallas’ overall population growth, immigrants should be recognized for building
businesses, laying down roots in Dallas and contributing meaningfully into
their communities. It is remarkable that in 2016 immigrants generated
$495.9 million in business income in the City, and about 20,405 immigrants
worked for their own businesses. If the Congress concentrated on passing
sensible immigration reform, the results for our community and communities
throughout the country would be astounding.”
“While DC plays games on immigration, Dallas knows firsthand
the economic benefits of embracing it,” said John Feinblatt, President of New American Economy. “Dallas already
grows its tax base and boosts local businesses by welcoming newcomers, and its
strategy for attracting more immigrant talent in the years to come is sure to
prove a sound investment.”
The brief, New
Americans in Dallas, finds:
·
Immigrant households earned $7.9 billion in
2016. Of that, foreign-born households contributed $1.9 billion in federal taxes
and $591.1 million in state and local taxes. They were left with $5.4 billion
in spending power.
·
Immigrant households support federal social
programs. The foreign-born contributed $847.7 million to Social Security and $218.9
million to Medicare.
·
A quarter of the population, immigrants were
responsible for 40 percent of overall population growth from 2011 to 2016.
·
Immigrants account for nearly one third of the
city’s entrepreneurs. Despite making
up 24 percent of the overall population,
immigrants represented 32.2 percent of entrepreneurs
in Dallas in 2016. The 20,405 immigrants who own their own business generated $495.9 million in business income.
·
Immigrants helped to preserve 14,617 local
manufacturing jobs in 2016. Because
of the role immigrants play in the workforce helping companies keep jobs local,
by 2016 immigrants living in Dallas had helped create
or preserve more than 14,000 manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise
vanished or moved elsewhere.
·
The DACA-eligible population in Dallas
contributed $161 in taxes and held nearly $700 million in spending power. In
2016, the 63,396 immigrants eligible for DACA—of whom 93.4 percent were
employed—contributed $89 million in federal taxes and $72 million in state and
local taxes, leaving them with $698.6 million in spending power.
Read report on the New American Website on February 28, 2018.
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. Coalition
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. Learn more at
www.NewAmericanEconomy.org.
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