Latino and Asian immigrants are working at higher rates than non-immigrants in California, a new study says.
Sixty-one percent of immigrants over age 16 are employed versus 57 percent of non-immigrants in the Golden State, according to a report from the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC). For Latino and Asian men, the difference is even greater. About 82 percent of all Latino and Asian immigrant men (ages 25 to 64) are employed, compared with 74 percent of U.S.-born Latino and Asian men.
And California, more than any other state, is the place to study immigrants. The state is home to more immigrants than any other state, with immigrants and their children making up 41 percent of California’s population, says the report, called "Looking Forward: Immigrant Contributions to the Golden State 2012," first reported by the LA Weekly.
Other impressive statistics about immigrants include the study's finding that immigrants account for 38 percent of all Californians with a Ph.D. degree. Also, California immigrants are entrepreneurial and more likely to create their own jobs than U.S.-born workers. Latino and Asian immigrants (age 25 to 64) "both have a self-employment rate of 12 percent, which is higher than the rates for non-immigrant Latinos and Asians (seven percent and eight percent, respectively)," says the study.
And finally, looking towards the 2012 presidential election, CIPC reports -- specifically about Latino immigrants -- that those "who naturalize in a politically charged environment on immigrant issues … vote at rates substantially higher than native or longer-term naturalized citizens."
Click through the top 10 states with the most potential Latino voters:
Data is from the Center for American Progress:
