What percent of the workforce in the are immigrants?

Updated May. 13, 2026Refreshed annually
Immigrants were 27.0% of employed workers in the Seattle, WA 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,

4 in 15

employed workers in the Seattle, WA area were immigrants
In 2024,

27%

of employed workers in the Seattle, WA area were immigrants
While immigrants were 27.0% of employed workers, they made up 25.4% of the working-age population in the Seattle, WA area (Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area). This indicates a higher employment rate than what’s expected. The working-age population includes everyone aged 16 and above.

In 2024, immigrants comprised a larger share of the Seattle, WA area's employed workers than the US average.

Share of employed workers that are foreign born, 2010–2024

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In what industries do immigrants work in the Seattle, WA area?

In 2024, immigrants in the Seattle, WA area were most commonly employed in these industries:
  1. Professional and business services (21.7% of all employed foreign-born workers)
  2. Education and health services (19.3%)
  3. Retail trade (11.3%)
Immigrant and native-born workers are sometimes concentrated in different industries. In the Seattle, WA area, the largest gap between foreign-born and native-born workers was in the professional and business services industry, where 21.7% of foreign-born working-age population were employed compared to 15.8% of native-born workers.

Compared to the native-born population, the Seattle, WA area’s immigrants more often worked in the professional and business services 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 Seattle, WA area's employed workers who are immigrants was higher than 63 metros and lower than 19. 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.