Hayley Brown at The Center for Economic and Policy Research reports on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Force Statistics’ (BLS) releasing its annual summary of the Labor Force Characteristics of Foreign-Born Workers in the United States, based on data collected monthly via the Current Population Survey (CPS). While Union Membership is not among the BLS’ highlighted statistics, the CPS does cover such information. These numbers tell an important story about labor, immigration and who holds power in today’s economy. They also underscore the importance of Worker Solidarity that transcends geographic origins, especially in the face of the Trump Administration’s hostility toward both Immigrants and Organized Labor. Union Membership Density remains consistently lower among foreign-born workers - a category containing both Naturalized Citizens and Non-Citizens - than among their U.S.-born counterparts. In 2024, the Union Nativity Gap stood at 2.2 percentage points, the same as in 2023. This may be at least partially attributable to the underrepresentation of foreign-born Workers in the Public Sector, which is more heavily Unionized. Foreign-born Workers’ proportionately lower Union Membership Rates are often attributed to this population’s reduced attachment to the domestic labor market and more limited social integration. However, U.S. Immigration Laws also put Immigrant Workers in a comparatively more precarious position in ways that can undermine collective power across workplaces and industries. The Visa System can tie a Worker’s legal status directly to employment with a specific firm, making organizing a proposition that risks not just a paycheck, but deportation. Immigrants also tend to have access to fewer Government Benefit Programs should they find themselves without a steady source of income. These structural vulnerabilities don’t just affect Immigrant Workers. They tilt the balance of power toward employers across entire industries, increasing management’s leverage over Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Workers.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Foreign-Born Workers: A Central Force for Unions – CEPR