The American Immigration Council (AIC), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization and advocacy group, has release new research in partnership with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity showing the changing demographic and economic contributions that immigrants are making in Northern Utah’s rural communities.
The brief included data concerning immigrants, which the report calls “new Americans,” in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan, Rich, Tooele and Weber counties. AIC defines an immigrant or new American as anyone born outside the country to non-U.S. citizen parents who is a resident of the United States.
The study found that Northern Utah is attracting new American talent. Between 2000 and 2019, the region welcomed more than 7,500 immigrants from abroad or other U.S. states. In 2019, nearly half, or 48.2 percent, of Northern Utah’s immigrants were naturalized citizens.
The report said new Americans are starting businesses and working in fast-growing industries. Immagrants represented 5.1 percent of Northern Utah’s population but 7.2 percent of entrepreneurs, 4.9 percent of STEM workers, 11.6 percent of manufacturing workers and 4.8 percent of healthcare workers in 2019, contributing a wide array of skills in fast-growing industries.
Immigrants contribute to Northern Utah’s economy as taxpayers and consumers. In 2019, they contributed $183 million in federal taxes and $98 million in state and local taxes and held $947 million in spending power helping to fuel the regional economy.
But half of the region’s immigrant professionals struggled to find jobs that match their skills. In 2019, 51.8 percent of college-educated immigrants worked in jobs that did not require a bachelor’s degree. Meanwhile, international students support jobs in Northern Utah. Almost 800 international students enrolled in Northern Utah’s colleges and universities during the 2021-22 school year and contributed $42.5 million to the U.S. economy and supported 457 jobs.