Contributions of New Americans

New Americans play a vital role in the health and vitality of our communities. Here are just a few ways that refugees make Minnesota a great place to live.

Building Our Labor Force

They not only support our business community by helping local companies meet workforce demands, they also buy goods and services – creating a larger consumer base.

Bringing New Economic Development

Many refugees are entrepreneurial and start their own businesses. Eighteen percent of small-business owners in the United States today are immigrants.* Thirty percent of the growth in the number of small businesses between 1990 and 2010 is attributed to immigrant owners.

Check out this video about CentraCare and its success in employing refugees.

Contributing Financially

New Americans pay taxes, give to charitable causes and contribute to Social Security. Nationally, immigrants earned $1.4 trillion in 2016 and contributed more than $117 billion in state and local taxes, as well as nearly $262 billion in federal taxes.** They had $1 billion in spending power. Immigrants in Minnesota play an important role contributing to the state’s economy as consumers and taxpayers.

Enriching Our Lives

They enrich American culture by bringing cultural diversity, innovative ideas, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit.

UMN study shows immigrants play vital role in future of state workforce, University of Minnesota, January 2017

*The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Minnesota, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, September 2013

**New data shows economic impact of immigrants, Business North, February 2017