Upwardly Global’s newest report, a collaboration with the American Immigration Council, was recently featured on Technical.ly. The article “Immigrants add billions to PA’s economy, but they’re being held back from their full potential” discusses the significant economic impact of immigrants in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania. It emphasizes their vital roles in local entrepreneurship and job creation, highlights their contributions to the workforce, details the benefits they bring to their communities, and outlines the significant challenges they face in achieving economic stability.
Immigrants are playing a pivotal role in fulfilling these needs, according to a recent report from workforce development nonprofit Upwardly Global and the American Immigration Council.
The report analyzed 2022 data across several states in the Great Lakes region, concluding that immigrants make outsized contributions to rejuvenating states like Pennsylvania and may be essential for regional recovery, as well as long-term economic growth. And immigrants are already playing a big role in Pittsburgh’s economy, according to local advocates.
“There’s a real promise that immigrants bring,” Carey Harris, CEO of educational nonprofit Literacy Pittsburgh, told Technical.ly. That promise, Harris said, is a young, diverse workforce that can fill the gaps in Pittsburgh’s economy.
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New businesses are the main driver of job growth and immigrants open businesses at much higher rates than the US population overall, meaning immigrant residents can have an outsized impact on the economy.
In the Pittsburgh metro area, there were over 3,700 immigrant entrepreneurs, according to the American Immigration Council. Immigrants were 26% more likely to be entrepreneurs than US-born residents.
Across the Great Lakes region, 13% of entrepreneurs are immigrants and they have generated $9.7 billion for the region’s economy, according to Upwardly Global.
“Just as immigrants drove major innovations and community growth at the turn of the 20th century,” said Jina Krause-Vilmar, president and CEO of Upwardly Global, “immigrants and refugees use their skills and talents to help the nation adapt to change today.”
The article emphasizes that welcoming and integrating immigrant talent is a crucial growth strategy for Philadelphia, contributing to job creation, business innovation, and overall economic prosperity. Read the full article here.