Foreign-born workers have a greater unemployment rate than American-born employees

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a slight increase in unemployment rates for both foreign-born and native-born individuals over the past year. What is startling is that the foreign-born workers are experiencing a slightly higher rate than their native-born counterparts.

The unemployment rate for the foreign born in the United States was 4.2 percent in 2024, up from 3.6 percent in 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The jobless rate of the native born was 4.0 percent in 2024, up from 3.6 percent in 2023.

From 2023 to 2024, the unemployment rate of the foreign born increased to 4.2 percent, and the jobless rate for the native born increased to 4.0 percent. In 2024, the foreign-born accounted for 19.2 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, up from 18.6 percent in 2023.

Foreign-born workers now account for a significantly higher proportion of the total US workforce than they did the previous year.

Unemployment rates increased for both men and women in the foreign-born population, with women experiencing greater rates than males. Similarly, unemployment rose for both native-born men and women, but the pattern was reversed: males had a somewhat greater unemployment rate than women.

The share of foreign-born people participating in the labor force held steady. Among them, women’s participation stayed about the same, and men’s participation also saw no major change. For the native-born population, overall participation in the labor force remained relatively unchanged, with minimal shifts in participation rates for both men and women.

While participation in the workforce stayed fairly consistent across groups, unemployment edged up slightly for everyone, both those born abroad and those born in the U.S.

From 2023 to 2024, the unemployment rate of the foreign-born increased to 4.2 percent. For the native born, the jobless rate increased to 4.0 percent. The unemployment rates for both foreign-born men and women increased in 2024, to 3.8 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively. The jobless rates for native-born men and women also increased (to 4.2 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively).

In 2024, the foreign-born accounted for 19.2 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force, up from 18.6 percent in 2023. In 2024, the labor force participation rate of the foreign born was little changed at 66.5 percent; the rate for foreign-born women held at 56.1 percent, while the rate for foreign-born men changed little over the year at 77.3 percent. The labor force participation rate of the native born changed little at 61.7 percent. The rates for both native-born men (65.9
percent) and women (57.8 percent) changed little over the year.

Foreign-born men continued to participate in the labor force at a considerably higher rate in 2024 (77.3 percent) than their native-born counterparts (65.9 percent). By contrast, 56.1 percent of foreign-born women were labor force participants, lower than the participation rate of 57.8 percent for native-born women.

In 2024, foreign-born workers were more likely than native-born workers to be employed in service occupations, natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations, and production, transportation, and material moving occupations. Foreign-born workers were less likely than native-born workers to be employed in management, professional, and related occupations and in sales and office occupations.

The median usual weekly earnings of foreign-born full-time wage and salary workers were $1,001 in 2024, compared with $1,190 for their native-born counterparts.