JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Amid ongoing focus related to jobs held by foreigners, a recent analysis provides perspective on how many jobs immigrants have in Mississippi.
USAFacts defines immigrants as foreign-born residents who became U.S. citizens, are authorized to work in the U.S., or are undocumented residents. Nationally, they make up 16.8% of the total working-age population and roughly 18% of the overall workforce. In Mississippi, those percentages are 2.9% and 3.4%, respectively. The state has the smallest share of immigrants in its overall workforce nationally.
Immigrant workers in Mississippi are overrepresented in a variety of fields, including leisure, hospitality and construction. The immigrant share of the workforce for these industries was disproportionally higher compared to even national averages…