- Construction Coverage warns the construction sector could face increased pressure due to the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.
- In Utah, 19.7% of construction workers are foreign-born while the figure is 27.4% in the Salt Lake area.
- Latinos account for a majority of the U.S. immigrant population and the group, regardless of migratory status, has an outsized presence in construction.
SAN DIEGO — As the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration unfolds across the country, a construction industry publisher warns the sector could take a hit.
Industries reliant on foreign-born workers “are beginning to feel the strain,” Construction Coverage said in a report this week. “One of the most exposed is the U.S. construction sector, where immigrants — both documented and undocumented — make up a substantial share of the workforce. These workers are integral not only to residential and commercial building projects, but also to the maintenance and repair of the nation’s aging infrastructure.”
Monday’s report, based on U.S. Census Bureau five-year American Community Survey data for 2023, shows that in Utah as a whole, 19.7% of the construction sector workforce is foreign born, which includes those in the country both legally and illegally…