Of the almost 49 million essential workers on the frontlines of today’s pandemic, nearly 6 million are immigrants, working as physicians, home health aides, farm employees, grocery store clerks, delivery drivers, and more. Looking at this data, it’s clear that immigrant workers are and will continue to hold up the U.S. economy, particularly in this time of crisis. For many companies, this isn’t news—they have long seen this population as an asset to their business, and invested in them as such.
Fortunately, a number of solutions are emerging that have the ability to benefit companies and workers alike. One solution that shows strong results is building underrepresented worker populations into your company’s talent strategy. These underleveraged groups include veterans, people with disabilities, young adults who are out of school and out of work, people formerly involved with the criminal justice system, and immigrants and refugees. Companies have historically undervalued these populations and underinvested in developing their talent—leaving both business and social value on the table.
Immigrants and refugees are a diverse and dynamic workforce that has the capacity to contribute vitally to individual companies and the economy.
With their wide range of educational attainment, skills, and backgrounds, immigrants and refugees are well equipped for a variety of business roles.
