Immigrants are crucial to Nevada’s economy

Immigrants make up nearly a quarter of Nevada’s labor force (26%), doubling the share from three decades ago, according to a FWD.us analysis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.¹ With some 450,000 workers, Nevada has one of America’s largest immigrant labor forces.

Nevada benefits from the contributions of immigrants to grow its economy, and the immigrant labor force cannot be taken for granted. Immigrants in Nevada’s workforce contribute an estimated $24 billion to the Silver State’s economy annually in personal income, making up nearly 1 in 5 of all spending-power dollars in the state. Lawmakers in Carson City should prioritize pro-immigrant policies that support families and that further expand immigrants’ ability to contribute to Nevada’s economy.

FWD.us analysis shows that immigrants in Nevada make up significant shares of workers in industries like construction (40%), leisure and hospitality (34%), agriculture (30%), transportation and utilities (27%), manufacturing (27%), and business services (24%). Immigrants make up even larger shares of more specific essential industries, including 56% in building services, 52% in landscaping services, 47% in taxi services, and 30% in food and beverage services.

Nevada’s immigrant population is highly integrated into the state’s communities. Some 91% of immigrants in Nevada speak English, about 57% are homeowners, and 82% have lived in the U.S. for a decade or longer. Some 37% of Nevada’s population lives in a household with at least one immigrant.

More than 200,000 immigrant workers in Nevada are naturalized U.S. citizens, an estimated 70,000 are lawful permanent residents, and more than 15,000 have a nonimmigrant status, like H-1B visa workers, or other temporary immigrant visas. Together, these U.S. citizens and people with some form of legal status make up 17% of Nevada’s total labor force.