Immigrant workers now account for close to one in four workers in the construction industry, the highest share recorded by the American Community Survey (ACS). In some states, the share is more than 40 percent of the construction labor force.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, 54 percent of all immigrant labor force live in the most populous states in the U.S., California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Immigrants make up between 22 and 34 percent of the labor force in these four states. More than a third of the construction industry's workforce is made up of immigrants.
In Georgia, Virginia, and Maryland, immigrants account for close to 30 percent of the construction labor force, as of 2016. While immigrants comprise less than 16 percent of the labor force in Virginia, their share in construction exceeds 29 percent. In Georgia, less than 14 percent of labor force is foreign-born, but the share of immigrants in the construction labor force is twice as high.
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