Immigration and Covid-19
Date: March 26, 2020
Updated on September 24, 2020 to feature the critical role of immigrants in mental health and counseling services.
In the lead up to the election in November 2020, we’re also crunching the numbers on how this year’s electorate–both nationally and in individual states–is the most diverse in U.S. history.
As government officials, journalists, advocates, business leaders, essential workers, and concerned community members, we know that you are fighting to respond effectively and safely to the Covid-19 public health crisis. NAE is working to produce the latest estimates that show how immigrants are part of America’s fight and response to the Covid-19 health crisis.
Have questions? Reach out to us anytime and we’ll get back to you right away: info@newamericaneconomy.org
Key Findings
- All Healthcare Workers (16.5% immigrant)
- Home Health Aides (36.5% immigrant)
- Physicians (28.7%)
- Personal Care Aides (25.1%)
- Nursing Assistants (22.0%)
- Surgeons (19.7%)
- Registered Nurses (15.7%)
- Respiratory Therapists (13.6%)
- Psychiatrists (32.0%)*
Read more in our research brief, Immigrants in Healthcare: Overview (April 6, 2020). *From the AMA Masterfile, 2015.
- 1 in 5 Nursing, Psychiatric, and Home Health Aides
- 1 in 8 Registered Nurses
- 1 in 5 Personal Care Aides
Read more in our research brief, Immigrants in Healthcare: Overview (April 6, 2020)
In 2018, there were almost 13.2 million immigrant essential workers in the United States. Together these essential workers make up almost half, or 48.3 percent of all employed immigrant workers in the country. These essential jobs are also some of the most at-risk jobs there are—and many are disproportionately held by immigrants. At-risk jobs are those that put workers at increased exposure to infected individuals and the virus, including meat processing workers (34.7% immigrant) and taxi drivers and chauffeurs (45.2%), and food delivery workers (18.2%)
See more in our data interactive, Immigrants in At-Risk Jobs During the Coronavirus Outbreak (April 3, 2020)
- All Food Sector Workers (21.6% immigrant)
- Food Processing Workers (28.7%)
- Agriculture Workers (27.6%)
- Food Delivery Workers (18.2%)
- Grocery and Supermarket Workers (16.6%)
Read more in our research brief, Immigrant Workers in the Food Supply Chain (April 16, 2020)
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (24.8% immigrant)
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (23.9%)
Read more in our research brief, Immigrant Workers in the Biomedical Industry (April 23, 2020)
- 280,000 undocumented immigrants work in healthcare, including 62,600 who are DACA-eligible.
- Nearly half of the almost 1.2 million DACA-eligible immigrants are essential workers.
- DACA-eligible make up just 0.36% of the U.S. population but fully 1.7% of essential restaurant and food service workers.
- In New York, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, almost 1 in 3 food delivery workers are undocumented.
Read more in our research briefs, DACA-Eligible Immigrants in Healthcare and as Essential Workers (May 14, 2020) and Undocumented Workers in Healthcare (April 4, 2020)
- In New York, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, immigrants make up over one-third of all healthcare workers.
- In New Jersey, which has the second-largest number of confirmed cases in the country, immigrants make up over half of all health aides
- In California, the country’s top agricultural state, immigrants make up almost two-thirds of the agricultural workforce
- In almost every one of the largest 15 metro areas, immigrants make up at least 20% of nurses, physicians, and surgeons
Read more localized findings in our research briefs, Immigrants in Healthcare: State-Level Data (April 9, 2020), Immigrants in Healthcare: Metro-Level Data (April 16, 2020), and Immigrant Workers in the Food Supply Chain (April 16, 2020)
NAE’s Covid-19 Research
- The Role of Immigrants in Mental Healthcare Services (September 24, 2020)
- The Role of Immigrant School Nurses (September 10, 2020)
- Black Immigrants in Healthcare and in Essential Industries (July 2, 2020)
- The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers by State (June 30, 2020)
- Hispanic Americans in Healthcare and in other Essential Roles (June 10, 2020)
- Immigrants Supporting Tech and in IT Roles (May 28, 2020)
- Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans on the Frontlines (May 21, 2020)
- Immigrant Workers in the Hardest-Hit Industries (May 21, 2020)
- DACA-Eligible Immigrants in Healthcare and as Essential Workers (May 14, 2020)
- Immigrant Workers in the Biomedical Industry (April 23, 2020)
- Refugee Workers on the Frontlines (April 23, 2020)
- Immigrants in Healthcare: Metro-Level Data (April 16, 2020)
- Immigrants in Healthcare: State-Level Data (April 9, 2020)
- Immigrants in Healthcare: Overview (April 6, 2020)
- Undocumented Workers in Healthcare (April 4, 2020)
- REPORT: The Silent Shortage: How Immigration Can Help Address the Large and Growing Psychiatrist Shortage in the United States (October 2017)
- REPORT: Who Will Care for Our Seniors? Comparing the Gap Between Available Healthcare Workers and Open Healthcare Jobs (September 2016)
- REPORT: A Helping Hand: How Immigrants Can Fill Home Health Aide Shortages in America’s Rural Communities (September 2016)
- REPORT: Life Support: The Shortage of Physicians in America’s Rural Counties and How Foreign-Born Doctors can Help (September 2015)
- DACA-Eligible Immigrants in Healthcare and as Essential Workers (May 14, 2020)
- Immigrant Workers in Education (May 7, 2020)
- Refugee Workers on the Frontlines (April 23, 2020)
- Immigrant Workers in the Food Supply Chain (April 16, 2020)
- Immigrant Workers in Construction and Infrastructure-Related Industries (September 3, 2020)
- Assessing Language Barriers for Immigrant Entrepreneurs (August 13, 2020)
- Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneurs: Toolkit (August 13, 2020)
- Back to School: A Look at the Internet Access Gap (August 6, 2020)
- How Has the Labor Market Been Affected by Covid-19? (May 14, 2020)
- Immigrant Workers in the Hardest-Hit Industries (April 30, 2020)
- Immigrants Workers in the Food Supply Chain (April 16, 2020)
- DATA INTERACTIVE: Immigrants in At-Risk Jobs During the Coronavirus Outbreak (April 3, 2020)
- DATA INTERACTIVE: Immigration, Aging, and America’s Growth (March 27, 2020)
