What percent of jobs in Virginia are held by immigrants?
Data updated May 22, 2024
About 16.7% in 2022. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, including those who became US citizens, are authorized to come to the US (e.g., for work), or are undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2022
1 in 6
employed workers were immigrants
In 2022
16.7%
of employed workers were immigrants
While immigrants hold 16.7% of jobs, they make up 14.9% of the total working-age population in the state. This indicates they are employed at a higher rate than expected. The working-age population includes everyone aged 16 and above.
Immigrant percentage of employed workers in Virginia
Immigrant participation in the workforce varies across industries. In Virginia, the largest gap between foreign-born and native-born workers was in the construction industry, where 9.4% of the foreign-born working-age population were employed compared to 5.7% of native-born workers.
Percentage of employed population in Virginia, by sector of employment (2022)
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The labor force participation rate — the percentage of the working-age population working or actively seeking work — for immigrants in Virginia was 70.9%, higher than the 62.0% rate for the native-born population. This shows that immigrants were seeking work at a higher rate than the native-born population in the state.
Comparing immigrant percentage of employed workers of Virginia metro areas to others
