New research from New American Economy shows that immigrants paid more than $100 million in taxes in Genesee County, Michigan in 2017. The report, New Americans in Genesee County, was prepared in partnership with the City of Flint Mayor Karen Weaver‘s Office and the International Center of Greater Flint.

In addition to their financial contributions, like $25.4 million to Social Security and $8 million to Medicare in 2017, the report highlights how immigrants helped to offset population losses in Genesee County. Between 2012 and 2017 the total county population fell by 2.1 percent, but the immigrant population grew by 6.5 percent, helping to prevent further losses.

The report also highlights how immigrants fill crucial workforce gaps, and had an outsize impact on key industries vital to the economic stability of Genesee county:

• Immigrants made up 2.3 percent of the area’s population, but represented 2.8 percent of its employed labor force. 
• Immigrants accounted for 3.6 percent of Genesee County’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workers, 4.5 percent of healthcare workers, 3.9 percent of hospitality workers, and 3.2 percent of education workers. 
• Immigrants made up 4.1 percent of Genesee County’s entrepreneurs, and also helped strengthen the local job market by helping to preserve or create 435 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved elsewhere by 2017.

The complete report is available here.

Full press release here.