[Excerpt] A positive influx of immigrants fed the rapid growth, even as the city lost native-born residents. By the latest tally, 17 percent of New Haven’s 130,000 residents are immigrants. Their origins, ages, skills, citizenship statuses, and personal stories are different, but their overall impact is clear: “The surge of immigration in recent years shows us yet again how important [immigrants are] to the growth and success of our community,” according to William W. Ginsberg, President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. As seen in other cities, the report shows how immigrants contribute to New Haven’s resilience, revitalizing the community through economic and social investment.
Immigrants help sustain a dynamic workforce in Greater New Haven. Foreign-born people are more likely to be employed than native-born residents; further, there are two high-skilled immigrant workers for every low-skilled immigrant worker. All these people contribute to the local economy by paying taxes, supporting businesses, and increasing trade with foreign markets.
The New Haven region study also shows that immigrants are frequent participants in local real estate, institutions, and economy – often at higher rates than native-born people. For example, naturalized citizens living in the city of New Haven are more likely to own a home (43 percent of households) than native-born citizens (32 percent). Since 2005, overall public school enrollment has decreased in Connecticut and in the Greater New Haven region, but it has grown among foreign-language speakers. Foreign-born people are substantially more likely than native-born people to own a business.
Link:
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/where-immigration-meets-resilience/
