What percent of the workforce in the are immigrants?

Updated May. 13, 2026Refreshed annually
Immigrants were 27.9% of employed workers in the San Diego, CA area in 2024. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, including those who became US citizens, are authorized to work in the US, or are undocumented residents.
In 2024,

2 in 7

employed workers in the San Diego, CA area were immigrants
In 2024,

27.9%

of employed workers in the San Diego, CA area were immigrants
While immigrants were 27.9% of employed workers, they made up 27.9% of the working-age population in the San Diego, CA area (San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metro Area). This indicates a similar employment rate to what’s expected. The working-age population includes everyone aged 16 and above.

In 2024, immigrants comprised a larger share of the San Diego, CA area's employed workers than the US average.

Share of employed workers that are foreign born, 2019–2024

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In what industries do immigrants work in the San Diego, CA area?

In 2024, immigrants in the San Diego, CA area were most commonly employed in these industries:
  1. Education and health services (20.5% of all employed foreign-born workers)
  2. Professional and business services (16.5%)
  3. Manufacturing (12.6%)
Immigrant and native-born workers are sometimes concentrated in different industries. In the San Diego, CA area, the largest gap between foreign-born and native-born workers was in the manufacturing industry, where 12.6% of foreign-born working-age population were employed compared to 7.7% of native-born workers.

Compared to the native-born population, the San Diego, CA area’s immigrants more often worked in the manufacturing industry.

Share of employed workers across industries, by nativity (2024)

In what metros do immigrants make up the largest share of the workforce?

Among metro areas for which there is data, immigrants made up between 4.7% to 51.5% of employed workers. The share of the San Diego, CA area's employed workers who are immigrants was higher than 66 metros and lower than 15. Metro areas are made up of economically interconnected counties that include at least one urban area. A single metro area can include multiple cities and cross state lines, depending on the region and local economy.

The share of employed workers who are immigrants varies by metro area.

Share of employed workers who are foreign-born, by metro area (2024)

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.